In Search of a Family
by WayHaughtStuff
Summary: AU fic. WayHaught. Nicole is in search of a place to call home after her discharge from the Marines. Waverly is overworked and looking for something more. First WayHaught fic so I hope you enjoy.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: This is my first Wayhaught fic. I am obsessed with Wynonna Earp. They are amazingly written characters and I only hope that this fic does all of the characters justice. I obviously don't own any of these characters. Just my story. This is an AU with a little military background. I was in the military so I hope you enjoy this. Let me know what you think. I will do my best to keep updating regularly but I am not always the quickest writer.**

Nicole stepped on the pier and breathed in the salty sea air. She knew that this would probably be the last time she would be able to fill her lungs with the heavy ocean air. She never had a feel for the sea. That was one of the main reasons she joined the Marines in the first place. She thought that by choosing the Marine Corps over the Navy, she would spend her entire enlistment in a desert or have her boots firmly on the ground at the very least. No one told her that she would have to spend large portions of a deployment attached to an amphibious ship that would transport her and her unit to whatever location they were most needed. She hated it at first. She couldn't stand with the swaying of the ship and she hated the cramped nature of life aboard a vessel at sea. But as time passed, she actually got used to the occasional voyage by ship. Nicole knew that she would miss the quiet nights when she would stand all alone on the flight deck. She would look out into the pitch blackness of the open sea and gaze upon the millions of stars that she never would be able to see back in port in Norfolk.

But Nicole Haught's time in the United States Marine Corps had come to an end. She would miss it all. But between the irreparable injury she had sustained to her lower body and the PTSD, both sustained when the CH-53 helicopter that she had been riding in had a massive systems failure, losing all of its hydraulic fluid, sending the aircraft and all of its occupants crashing to the water below, there was no place for her in the military any more. She had been medically retired, which hurt her heart but she realized that it was far better than being carried in a flag covered coffin to a funeral no one would attend.

She had no family. She was the only child to parents who had died before she had even reached 13. Nicole bounced from group home to group home until she was old enough to enlist. From the first day of boot camp, she had excelled. She loved life in the Corps. She had full meals, got to see new places, and most importantly she had finally found a family. She loved the camaraderie and the structure that the Corps had to offer, things that she had been missing most of her life. After her accident, the red-headed enlisted Marine laid in her bed in the hospital in Europe for months, wondering what would become of her life in the Marines. That question was answered in the form of what she liked to call her "break-up email". If she was honest with herself, Nicole knew it was coming. Separation orders were inevitable. She hoped and prayed that they wouldn't come, but she knew that there was no way she would be able to go back. She was too damaged to be an effective Marine. But Nicole just didn't know who she was if she wasn't a Marine. It had become her identity. It was who she was.

Nicole didn't really have a home. During her time in the service she had mostly lived on base. All she had to her name was a seabag full of civies and her black and red Harley Davidson Road King. Like most young enlisted Marines, she had saved up her first few paychecks and blew it all on a motorcycle. But the difference was that Nicole cared for her bike more than anything because it was the first real thing that she had ever owned for herself. It was her prized possession that she always kept in pristine condition. She knew that when she returned to the States, it would be the only thing that was waiting for her.

Nicole had absolutely no ties to any place. She knew there would be no signs welcoming her home and no one waiting to greet her as she stepped off the pier. She had left on her deployment happily engaged to the person she thought was the love of her life. She had a beautiful girl that she had met when when her squad had taken her out to the only bar in Emerald Isle, NC. When she had first laid eyes on Alex, Nicole swore to herself that she was going to grow old with the beautiful angel. She had proposed one starry night on a completely empty beach and the couple spent the next two days barely leaving their bed. That was right before she left. But the email containing the separation orders wasn't the only breakup email that she received while lying in that hospital bed in Europe.

Nicole remembered how down she had been when she first got injured. She remembered how she missed her platoon, missed her friends, and missed her home. She missed holding Alex in her arms as they would cuddle in their bed on Sunday mornings. When she saw the notification for the email from her fiancee, her heart nearly leapt out of her chest. She hadn't heard from Alex since before her accident. But as she read, her mood began to change. Looking back at that moment, Nicole could swear that she was able to point to the exact moment where her heart ripped in two. The email started with how much Alex loved Nicole and how before she could see them spending a long happy life together. But when Alex received news of Nicole's injuries, doubt crept into her mind. She convinced herself that there was no way that she could handle the months and months of therapy that the young Marine would require and she knew that Nicole would never be the same. She would never be her Nicole again. She said that she was not strong enough to be there for Nicole. The injured Marine read the words over and over and knew that it wasn't the truth. She knew that the love of her life had found someone else while she was away. It happened more often than she would like to think. She had seen it time and time agains with the other guys in her platoon. Deployment was hard on relationships. And although she had seen it happen before, it hadn't made it any easier. At that time, the tough red head didn't think she would survive that heartbreak.

After many long months recovering in the hospital, Nicole was finally given her discharge papers from the hospital. When it was time to head back to the states, Nicole knew that there was no way she would be able to get on a plane. Every night she woke in pools of sweat, screaming from the replay of that night in her head. Her PTSD was too bad and she didn't know if she would ever be able to step foot on a plane again. So she caught a ride back on a ship headed back for the States. She hated being back underway but anything was better than having to be in the air.

As Nicole stood on the pier, breathing in the salty ocean air, her mind flashed back to that night on the beach under the stars. She felt the tear roll down her cheek as she reminisced about what would have been one of the happiest nights of her life.

"Get it together Marine," she yelled internally at her outward display of weakness. With that one tear, she made up her mind to get as far from the ocean as possible. She couldn't take the constant reminder of her broken heart with every lungful of salty air she inhaled. So Nicole hefted her bag over her shoulder and double timed it to the long term secure parking. There she saw her baby, covered and waiting for her return. At least something was. She undercovered her bike and stuffed the cover and her bag into the storage compartments. She straddled the machine and turned the key, the loud purr of the engine being one of the happiest things she had heard in months. Nicole pulled on her helmet and kicked off. She headed past the gate guard and down the highway, not knowing where she was going, just knowing that she was headed west.

She could hear her name being yelled, but she couldn't make out who was yelling it. It sounded like Gus, but she didn't see her aunt anywhere. The sound was getting louder and louder, but the source was still a mystery. But then she felt the hand on her shoulder shaking her and she woke to find herself face down in a pile of books and notes.

"Waverly, it's time to get up. You'll be late for your shift at Shorty's." Gus looked down at her niece and smiled. She knew that Waverly worked way too hard, much harder than someone her age should work. Between her work at the bar and school, she didn't have much time to just be young. Gus felt for the young girl. Waverly had a drive to learn everything she could but had to bartend at Shorty's to pay for school. Any other time that she had off she spent helping Gus run the farm. Gus hated that she needed Waverly's help but she just wasn't able to afford the handymen that Purgatory had to offer and ever since her husband Curtis had died, she just couldn't take care of everything on her own. Waverly's older sister, Wynonna, helped whenever she could but that wasn't very often. Wynonna had enlisted in the Navy and spent most of her time deployed on a ship. She would come home when she had liberty, but that wasn't very often. Definitely not often enough to help Gus take care of the farm. So it all rested on Waverly's small shoulders. Gus hated that she had played her part in stealing some of the girl's youth by piling the burden of the farm on her. She loved her niece and she knew that young Waverly deserved better.

"Waverly, you work too hard. You need to take a break...get away."

"Gus, you know that there is no way that I am giving up school and you the farm, so I don't see me getting a break anytime soon." Waverly slowly started to stand up and stretch. She slowly walked towards her closet to retrieve her Shorty's uniform "I'm fine, Gus." She stopped short of the closet door and spun around to face the older woman. "Really." She said in a reassuring way. The younger girl crossed the room quickly to hug her aunt. She hugged her for a long moment before breaking the embrace and looked up with the sweetest smile on her face. "If you are really worried about me, you could always make me a cup of coffee in my travel mug. I know I am going to need it today." Waverly smiled and winked at her aunt.

"Of course Waverly." The older woman kissed her niece on the forehead and walked out of the room towards the kitchen.

As Gus walked out, Waverly sighed. She was so tired that she could hardly stand up. She would never tell her aunt but the constant waking at 4 am to complete all of the random chores that needed to be done around the farm, then spending all day on her online school work, and finally heading to Shorty's to sling drinks behind the bar was starting to break her. Some nights she would sneak off to the women's restroom just so she could have a moment to break down. She definitely had no social life. There just wasn't any time for that. Waverly dreamed of a life without all of her obligations. She dreamed of a life with fun, a life with travel, a life with love. She sighed in defeat and sighed in exhaustion before she willed herself back to the closet to put on her uniform.

Shorty's never got extremely busy. Purgatory had way more drunks that just wanted someone quiet that would keep the glass full than it did young people who wanted an active bartender. But on Saturdays the atmosphere changed enough that Waverly stayed busy the whole night. She never really minded not having much down time because it always made her shift go by much faster. But it also meant that Waverly had to deal with getting hit on by many of the young single men (and some not so single) guys in town. Guys like Champ Hardy.

"Come on, Waverly. Why won't you just go out with me. It's not like you have any better offers and you know there isn't a girl in Purgatory who wouldn't give anything for a night with "The Champ"." His cocky sneer made her sick to her stomach. "Most of the guys wouldn't stoop so low as to take a chance on an Earp, but I can see past your name," he leaned over the bar to look at her body, "because of that stupendous ass of yours."

He was a pig, but he had a point. Some days Waverly felt so lonely. She worked so hard that she yearned for someone to hold her when the pressure got to be too much. She hated to think that one day the pressure would be too much and he would wear her down but she knew that it was inevitable. There weren't a lot of people who wanted someone like her. Not just because she was an Earp, but most of the guys in Purgatory didn't want what they called an "egghead". They wanted the dutiful girl, not the intelligent, independant girl who wanted more from life. And Waverly Earp would never be that girl.

Deep down, Waverly knew that if she stayed in Purgatory, her best chance at someone to come home to was to settle down with Champ. He was supposedly the best catch in the Ghost River Triangle. Waverly knew that unless she left, she was destined to an unhappy life as Hardy. She could taste the bile rising in the back of her throat when she thought about her likely future. With every passing day, she could feel her dreams of an exciting, passion filled life drifting further out of her reach. Maybe all that she dreamed of just wasn't in the cards for Waverly Earp.

Nicole had been riding for what seemed like years. She didn't really have any clue where she was headed. She just kept driving. The young Marine figured when she came across the right place to stop, she would know it. But nowhere that she had passed through had the right feel, so she just kept going. She hadn't felt that free in a long time. But Nicole was searching for somewhere, maybe someone, to call home. She wanted to feel that special feeling of having a family again.

It was starting to get dark. Nicole's eyelids were getting heavy and her stomach growled to remind her that she hadn't eaten in over 24 hours. She knew she would have to stop soon. As she drove, she saw a sign ahead of her. She couldn't help but chuckle to herself when she got close enough to read it.

"Welcome to Purgatory. You'll never want to leave, huh? Sounds like a real special place." She pulled the bike alongside the welcome sign. "Such a charming name for a town," she joked.

It then hit Nicole why she was drawn to this town. During her time on board one of the many ships she had been on, she had encountered a female Petty Officer with the same love for motorcycles that she had. She became quick friends with the young woman and they would spend off hours in the mess comparing bikes. She always teased the sailor about her last name as she found it to be quite unusual.

"So Earp, you find any cattle rustlers roaming the flight deck?" She would tease as she passed her new friend.

"Hilarious, Haught stuff." Wynonna would reply with the nickname she had given the Marine.

Nicole cherished her friendship with Wynonna. She hated when she had to depart the ship, being a Marine she never stayed that long on board. She felt like the sister that the red headed Marine had never had. They would talk about their motorcycles, but also about home life and dreams for the future. Nicole would listen intently as Wynonna would talk about the little town of Purgatory and her aunt's farm. She remembered how her friend told her that if she was ever passing through, she should stop and at least grab a drink from Shorty's, and if she had had too much Gus would put her up for the night.

While she wasn't so sure about asking a complete stranger for a place to stay the night, Nicole could definitely use a break from the vibrating seat of her motorcycle, her ass had been numb for hours. A drink and something to fill her stomach sounded pretty good at the moment. So she revved the engine of her bike and headed to the center of town to try the bar her friend had suggested.

Waverly may have started to give in to the constant advances of Champ Hardy but he was far past intoxicated and there was no way she was giving in that night. She had stopped serving him hours ago, but somehow it seemed he was getting even more drunk, which meant he was getting even more obnoxious. The small bartender could handle her own when it came to the town drunks, but that didn't mean they didn't get on her nerves.

"Come on Waverly," Champ slurred his words.

"Go home, Champ."

"Only if you come with me." He gave her a drunk smirk.

"Champ, even if I did come home with you, you are way too drunk to do anything with me." Waverly laughed and walked away. She peered over her shoulder and saw that he had yet to make a move towards the door. She knew she would have to deal with him until they locked the doors and all she could do was let out a sigh and keep serving the customers that had yet to reach their limit.

As she walked back towards the faulty beer taps, she felt as if all of a sudden time came to a screeching halt. The front doors to Shorty's had opened and in walked a vision of beauty. As if she was in some cheesy 80'smovie, she swore she could hear the power ballad que up as she watched the red haired beauty enter the bar. Although she was dressed in jeans, a white t-shirt and black leather boots and jacket, Waverly swore she could see the magnificent musculature beneath. Waverly had never seen someone quite like her. Feminine and strong, she seemed to be perfection.

Waverly had to snap herself out of her trance. Time seemed to resume its normal pace once again. It didn't bother Waverly that she found this young woman to be attractive. Her whole life she had appreciated the female form, but just as she had no time to date men, she had no time to date women either, so she had never actually explored the thought of dating women. But this woman was different. She was a unicorn, one of a kind. She had a special confidence that exuded from her stride. She was like no one that the young barmaid had ever laid eyes on.

Nicole pushed open the double doors to Shorty's saloon. It wasn't packed but there was a decent crowd for a Saturday night. A few people were playing pool and the rest were congregating around the bar where there seemed to be only one, very overworked, bartender. When Nicole laid eyes on the young bartender, she felt her heart skip a beat. She hadn't felt even the slightest mend in her broken heart since she had opened the email ending her engagement. But a simple look at the midriff bearing angel pouring pitchers of frothy beverages for loud, drooling drunks, and Nicole felt as if a defibrillator had been applied to the heart that had stilled after it had broken.

Then she saw the tattoo covered pretty boy sloppily fawning and pawing at the obviously annoyed woman and Nicole's White Knight complex sprung into action. She walked, but with a purpose, to the spot where the man was draped over the bar. She clapped her hand with some force down on his shoulder, which made him spin around in surprise. When he did he came face to face with the smiling red head.

"What the fuck? Who the hell are you?" Champ slurred his words and struggled to keep his head upright.

"I'm new and just thought that maybe you would come have a drink with me," she smiled an even bigger smile, her dimples popping out.

"Look Red, that's a great offer. But for one, you," he looked her up and down and then gestured to her hair "aren't my type. And can't you see I'm working on something here." He pointed towards Waverly.

"I get that buddy." She clamped her hand tighter on his shoulder. "But this young lady doesn't need your drunk ass hanging on her while she is trying to work." She used her grip on his shoulder to direct him up from his seat. "And as much as I'm sure she would love to help you with your "little"," she nodded to the area below his waist, "situation that I can assure you, based on your state of...lubrication... would not be a hard problem for her all night, she probably can't help while she is working. So you can either come have a drink with me and let this lovely lady work," she looked up at Waverly and flashed her a quick smile before returning her attention to the puddle of a man next to her, "or you can go home, sleep it off, and do your best to try and impress her when you are slightly less intoxicated." She began to steer him towards a table away from the bar.

He took a few steps along side of her before he shook her off of him violently. "Get the fuck off of me." He looked at Waverly. "I'll catch up with you later, Waverly." Champ staggered off through the doors of the bar. Nicole watched as he stumbled away and turned around to see that Waverly had gone back to tending a bar that seemed to have gotten exponentially busier in the past few seconds. The red headed Marine let out a sigh and decided to find an open table.

Waverly stared in awe at her savior escorting Champ away. That brief moment when the goddess dressed in denim and leather flashed her dimples and smile at the barmaid felt as if all the air had left her body. She wanted to know more about the mysterious stranger who had walked in her bar at the precise minute she needed her. She couldn't wait for her to return to the bar so she could thank her but before the redhead had a chance to finish dealing with Champ, the bar had become overrun with patrons. Waverly knew she couldn't take any more time to observe the other woman and started to pass out shots of whiskey and mugs of beer. She only hoped that she would get a moment to meet the object of her affection before she disappeared as quickly as she had appeared.

 **A/N 2: I really hope y'all enjoyed that. It being my first WayHaught fic I am a little nervous. So again let me know what you think. A side note, I was actually in a helicopter that starting losing it's hydraulic fluid and it almost crashed. I also was on a ship that took Marines to different location and my absolute favorite thing was looking up at the stars while out to sea. So enjoy. I need to get back to writing so I don't make y'all wait too long.**


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: Sorry for the delay. I work way too hard and would much rather be paid to write for you. I hope you enjoy this chapter. Sometimes a chapter that I am using to set up later chapters just doesn't come together in my head the way I want. I hope this one is ok. I would also like to put a small warning on this chapter. There is a small discussion about Nicole's injury. Before I get a lot of nasty comments, just know that I modeled her injuries after my own and her thought process is how I deal with my own injuries I got during my military service. Other people may deal with it a different way and I respect their process. This is mine (and my character's).**

Nicole went to a back table and slung her leather jacket over the chair. She sat down, sipped her beer, and savored the most delicious cheeseburger she had ever put in her mouth. She sat back, trying her best not to be creepy, but unable to take her eyes of the small barmaid. The Marine was never shy when it came to something she wanted, but she really didn't want to be just another drunk slob hanging on the bar ogling the beautiful angel in red and blue. So she sat back and enjoyed her meal, taking a minute every now and then to catch a glimpse of the girl behind the bar. She took a big bite of her burger when she noticed the other chair at the table moving. When she set the sandwich back down on it's plate, she found that she was face to face with an older woman.

"I know everyone in this town, but I have never seen you before, and I'm pretty sure I would remember someone that could handle Champ Hardy like that." Gus sat in the chair across from Nicole, who was sitting speechless out of shock from the stranger that had invaded her space. "So what's your name, or would you prefer that I just call you Red?"

Nicole choked down the partially chewed burger in her mouth and took a swig of her beer. "I'm so sorry ma'am. I was just in a little shock when you approached. My name is Nicole. Nicole Haught."

"Ma'am? Sweetie, you are going to make a lady feel old with that ma'am talk." Gus chuckled.

"I didn't mean any offense. It's a force of habit. In another life I was known as Gunnery Sgt Haught." Nicole extended her hand to the older woman.

"Well heck," Gus shook the hand in front of her and smiled. "We love vets in this bar. Let me grab you another drink. Name's Gus."

"Gus? You wouldn't happen to have a niece in the Navy, would you? Wynonna?" Nicole asked, finding it very lucky that the person Wynonna had told her to see when she was at the bar sought her out instead.

Gus was taken aback for a moment. "You know my Wynonna?"

Nicole smiled. "Why yes ma'am. I was on board the WASP for a little bit and we became friends. She is the one that told me about this bar. I was just discharged and wanted to get as far west as possible. When I stumbled upon the sign at the edge of town, I thought it would be a good place to stop and rest for an hour or so."

Gus jumped up from her chair and walked over to the side of the table where the young Marine was seated. "I can count the people that she calls "friend" on one hand. I thought that girl was going to be lost to the world before she joined the Navy. So if you are willing to admit you are friends with her, then you are welcome here. Where are you heading to after you are done here?"

Nicole hung her weary head. "I'm not quite sure. I just needed to get away from where I was."

Gus gave the girl a smile. "I have a big farm and a few empty rooms. If you don't mind helping around the farm, you are welcome to stay as long as you'd like."

"I do have to warn you, ma'am, I was in a very bad accident. I may not be the best farmhand." The usually very confident Marine couldn't look the other woman in the face. After what had happened with her fiancee Alex, she was afraid that anyone she met would turn her away because of her injuries.

"Ms. Haught, Nicole, right now I have almost no help except for my very over worked niece." She saw the puzzled look on the redhead's face. "Wynonna's sister. She has a job and school. With your help on the farm, she can focus on those things. Look, I can't pay that much, certainly not what every other person in this town is asking, but I can give you a place to stay while you figure out what you want to do with your life. But you really have to stop calling me ma'am." Gus extended her hand to the seated girl and smiled.

Nicole took a moment to think about the situation. She really didn't have any other plan. This would give her a chance to rest and get away from the memories that haunted her. A farm in this small western town was as far from the ocean as she could get. She took a quick glance back to where the small barmaid was still busy pouring shots of whiskey for a multitude of drunks. She thought about how a little time spent in this town might not be all that bad. The young Marine stood and smiled as she grasped the hand in front of her. "Yes ma'a... I'd love too. Thank you."

"That's great!" Gus shook the younger girl's hand with enthusiasm. "I don't want to interupt your drinking any further, but I can set you up whenever you're ready."

Nicole looked back over at the bar. There were patrons lined up and yelling at the the midriff bearing bartender as she ran from tap to bottle to glass in attempt to fill all of the orders. She knew there was no break for the bartender in sight and the last thing Nicole wanted to do was make the object of her affection's night any more difficult. If she was staying around, she would have her chances. "Well, I'm guessing that I am going to have an early morning, so it is probably best to go ahead and get some sleep." She turned around, grabbed her jacket, and slung it over her shoulder. "Lead the way, Gus."

* * *

Waverly hated that she got so busy that she wasn't able to say one word to the tall woman who had been her savior from Champ. Every time she got the chance to look up from the drinks she was pouring, she searched out for the stranger. Every now and then she was lucky enough to catch the eye of the other girl and it made her heart rate accelerate. She let out a sigh of relief as the people surrounding her bar began to thin out. She hoped she hadn't missed her chance to personally thank the red haired beauty for her help. Just as Waverly poured the last pint of beer, she looked back to the spot where she had seen the other woman sitting. Her eye caught a flash of red hair as she watched the stranger sling the leather jacket over her shoulder and head toward the door. She wanted to scream out, to stop the guardian angel from leaving, but then she realized she didn't know the other woman's name and had no idea what to yell out to halt her. And while she debated on what to yell, she watched as the tall, muscular beauty walked out the door into the night.

Waverly let out a defeated sigh and she mentally admonished herself for not saying anything. She wanted to know so much more about the mysterious woman and now she didn't know if she would ever see her again. _Just my luck_ , Waverly thought to herself. _My knight in shining leather walks into my life and I'm too busy slinging drinks to ride off into the sunset._

The young barmaid could not get the red headed stranger off her mind for the rest of her shift. She wished so much that she could forget about the woman that she would most likely never see again but the image of her had been burned into her memory. Even when Waverly tried to close her eyes, she couldn't help but see the beautiful ginger woman dance on the inside of her eyelids. She had never been so infatuated with someone as she was with the woman she didn't even know. Trying her best to forget what would never be hers, she went back to the droves of drunks and attempt to finish her shift without another thought of the other woman.

* * *

Waverly stirred in her bed and stretched. It had been years since she had felt so rested. As she stretched and took in the fact that it was the first morning she felt that she had gotten a good night's sleep, the realization hit her that she hadn't been woken up and she shot straight up. She never felt well rested. She usually poured herself into bed after her shift and crawled out in the morning when Gus popped in to turn on her light so she could do her farm chores. But the light filling the room wasn't from her overhead light. It was from the window. The sun had already come up, which meant that Waverly had slept in. She leapt out of bed and frantically started to run around the room looking for anything she could wear to do her chores. She knew she should have set an alarm. She used to until it became futile because she always slept through it. So she started relying on Gus. Wait, where was Gus? Had something happened to her? Why hadn't she woken Waverly? The young girl really started to panic.

She ran around the room tossing clothes all around until she found an outfit to pull on quickly that would be suitable for her chores. She bounded down the stairs with one shoe on her foot and the other in her hand, wondering where her aunt was and whether she was ok since she hadn't woken her. Or maybe Gus wanted to give Waverly a break after a rough night, even though she knew that Gus needed her help every day. Waverly burst out the door and headed towards the barn. She was still buttoning her work shirt when she threw open the barn door. As she lifted her head, out of breath and flustered, she saw a sight that stopped her dead in her tracks.

There, mucking the stalls, doing the chore she was late to do, was an angel in jeans, a sleeveless shirt and a mound of fiery red hair piled under a stetson. Never in her life had Waverly found someone handling manure so attractive. For the second time in 24 hours, it was as if time had slowed and the girl swore she heard the power ballad start again. The young Earp was frozen in her spot as she watched the unsheathed arms of the mysterious stranger as they flexed with every movement, each muscle highlighted with the glistening sweat running down her arms. Waverly had no idea why this person was doing her chores but she wasn't going to complain. Then it hit her.

She would know that red hair anywhere. That hair was attached to the head of her leather clad knight from the night before. The heavens had heard her heart's deepest desire and had given her one more chance to thank her mysterious stranger. Waverly was elated to have a second chance with the tall ginger haired woman and wanted nothing more than to get to know as much about the other woman as she could. Waverly just stared and watched every movement of the strange woman as if it were a ballet. As much as she wanted to open her mouth and converse with the redhead, she was unable to form any words, so she just continued to stare at the vision before her.

"You know you could always pick up a shovel and help...or maybe get me a glass of water." The voice startled Waverly from her daze. She didn't know how to respond and just stood in place, frozen like a deer caught in headlights.

Nicole had felt a presence and out of the corner of her eye had seen the young woman staring silently at her. She decided it was best to break the ice before the situation got really awkward. But when there was no response from the other woman she knew she would need to pause her chore and confront the situation head on. She stood up and turned to look at the beautiful woman that she had seen tending bar the night before. The woman before her was stunning and she would be content to stare into those sparkling eyes all day long. But she really wanted to use the opportunity that she had to make an impression on the other woman so when the young brunette had still not said a word, Nicole cleared her throat to bring her out of whatever daydream she was having.

The sound broke Waverly from her daze and she finally noticed that the stunning ginger was not only talking to her, but was now staring back at her. She could feel the red heat rising in her face from embarrassment. She had been caught staring and was stuck without words to talk herself out of the awkward situation. She searched her brain for something, anything, to say as the redhead was just staring at her. She said the first thing she could think of just to break the hold that the other woman had on her.

"You're...umm...you..." Waverly stuttered out.

Nicole gave a smirk. "Well yeah. I've pretty much been me my whole life."

Waverly blushed even more. "You are doing my job."

Nicole looked over at the pile of manure and back at the other young woman. "Well I sincerely apologize ma'am. I wouldn't want to deprive anyone of the sheer and utter joy of cleaning up horse manure." Nicole flashed a cocky little smile that made her dimple flash and it made Waverly go weak at the knees. "But I'm pretty sure this is one of my duties as the new ranch hand."

Waverly went from giggling, stuttering schoolgirl to complete shock. It wasn't that she didn't want the ginger goddess around but she was trying to understand how this vision of perfection that left her completely tongue tied went from disappearing into the night air without a word to being in her life constantly. "New ranch hand?"

"Yeah, Gus hired me last night. I'm sorry. Where are my manners? I'm Nicole. Nicole Haught." Nicole stepped toward the other girl and extended her hand.

"Haught...of course." Waverly muttered under her breath. She looked at the the hand in front of her and made a move closer to the stunning redhead before her. She reached hers out and the minute she connected with the other it was as if they had completed a circuit. Electricity shot from Nicole's hand to hers and Waverly couldn't describe the way it made her feel. It was as if for the first time in her life she felt truly alive. As if the completion of that circuit had jump started her heart and she had to struggle to keep it from beating out of her chest. She held on for an unnatural amount of time and just stared back into the piercing eyes that looked back at her. It wasn't until she heard the faint throat clearing that shook her from the spell she was under.

Embarrassed that she had captured and held hostage the hand of a woman she didn't really know, she felt the red rising up in her face. "Oh," she finally let go of the hand in hers, "I'm Waverly Earp."

"Earp, huh? Like the famous lawman?"

"Yeah," Waverly replied shyly, "he was my great-great-grandfather."

"That's very cool." Nicole responded and smiled, her dimples flashed as she did. There was something about that smile that Waverly just couldn't get enough of. As she felt herself getting pulled back in by that smile, she heard the heavy footsteps of another person entering the barn.

"Waverly, I see you've met our new ranch hand." Gus's voice rang through the small stable.

"Aunt Gus," Waverly spun around, "I thought...umm... well...why did you hire someone?" Waverly had yet to gain her bearings from encounter with the beautiful redhead.

Gus had never seen her niece so flustered and the red in her cheeks was a dead giveaway that Waverly was attracted to the new helper. While she didn't want to see her family hurt by someone who had no future plans to root down anywhere, she knew that the Marine was a far better match for Waverly than someone like Champ Hardy. "We needed some help Waverly, and Nicole needed a place to stay. Even with her limitations, I figured I would rather have her than any of the wastes that you serve nightly at Shorty's."

Waverly couldn't believe her ears. Why would her aunt even suggest that Nicole had limitations? She didn't know why she became so defensive of the woman she had met only the night before but her aunt had no right to say that. "Gus, just because she's a woman doesn't mean she has 'limitations'!" she yelled back at her aunt.

"I think she was talking about these." Waverly heard Nicole's voice behind her. When Waverly spun around she realized that she had been so distracted by the piercing eyes and amazing dimples that she missed that the new farmhand had two metal braces covering her knees. Immediately, Waverly felt a sadness. She wanted to know what happened to the beautiful woman to cause her to wear the medical devices and she needed to be the one that nursed the other woman back to full health.

" Oh my gosh, Nicole. What happened? What can I do? Gus, why on earth is she mucking the stalls? Nicole, let me find you somewhere to sit." Waverly began frantically looking around the barn, whipping her head from side to side.

"Waves, calm down." Waverly froze the minute she felt the warm hand on her shoulder. That reconnection sent a warm feeling flowing throughout her body and her heart skipped a beat at the use of the new nickname. She looked up and was met once more with the sight of the most amazing smile reflecting back at her.

"Waverly, Gus knew about my knees when she hired me. And I don't really have limitations, Gus. Just think of these things as another item of clothing I put on in the morning." Nicole smiled through any conversation about her injury and tried her best to change the subject. The way things ended with her fiancee had affected how Nicole reacted with others. She wanted to prove to everyone that she was just as strong as everyone else if not more so. She didn't want Waverly to be worried that she had to take care of her. She didn't need anyone to take care of her. She wanted to be the one to take care of others. And she really wouldn't mind being the one that got to take care of Waverly.

"I'm sorry Nicole. I didn't mean anything by it." Gus was slightly embarrassed that she had pointed it out.

"No worries, Gus." Nicole really just wanted to move past it. "But anyway, Waves, yeah… Gus gave me a place to lay my head at night while I figure out what to do with my life."

Waverly heard the nickname roll off the tongue of Nicole Haught for the second time and felt herself go weak at the knees. She wanted to know more about the redhead that had barrelled into her life. What had happened to her, where did she come from, and how long was she staying? All Waverly did know was that if the beautiful specimen before her was looking for a place to lay her head, she knew exactly where she could do it.

The blush began to rise in her face as she thought of the other woman lying next to her in her bed upstairs. She could almost feel the warmth of the other body pressed against hers and she couldn't help but have a goofy grin on her face as she got lost in her daydream.

"Waverly?" Waverly looked and saw that two sets of eyes were staring at her as if they were waiting for her to answer some question.

The flush in her face from her daydream was replaced by redness rising from embarrassment. "Oh, umm, I am so sorry. I guess my mind was elsewhere."

Nicole couldn't help but get a cocky little half smile. She saw just how she affected the smaller woman. After what had happened with Alex, the Marine wasn't sure if she would ever be ready to bond with another person again. She definitely never saw herself thinking about what a future might be like with anyone but the woman she had proposed to. But even after just officially meeting the perky brunette, she felt like there was an instant connection between them. Seeing that her presence was shaking the other girl meant that she wasn't the only one feeling this connection. She couldn't help but smile.

Gus watched as the two women stared in awkward silence. In all her life she had never seen such an awkward pair that were so perfect for each other. She knew she had to ensure that the new hire remained long enough to really get to know her niece. The last thing she needed was for Waverly to get her heart involved with someone who was ready to up and leave at a moment's notice. While she was excited to see the chemistry flying between the two, her main goal was to protect the girl who was like a daughter to her.

The silence between the three women had gone on for an eternity. Finally, Gus knew that while whatever was going on between the two women was something special, work needed to be done. She cleared her throat, breaking the silent connection between the other two. Nicole shook her head and realized that she was standing in a dirty horse stall, surrounded by manure, staring at the other woman.

"Well, I...umm...I need to get back to work. I don't want to get fired on my first day." She smile and nodded at Gus.

"Yeah...I guess I need to...I'm not really sure what I need to do. I could get a little more sleep. But I'm not tired, now. Maybe I could do some studying. Either way, I guess I should go inside." Waverly's face dropped as she turned to head inside.

"Hey, Waves?"

The brunette's heart felt like it was going to beat out of her chest at the sound of her name being said by those perfect lips. She spun around with such force that her hair twirled like an actress in a shampoo commercial. She hadn't even left Nicole's presence but couldn't help the smile that grew on her face when she again came face to face with the beautiful redhead.

Nicole didn't think there was anything more adorable in this world than seeing the young Earp twirling around and smiling at her. "Maybe we can grab a cup of coffee later."

"Of course." Waverly said with what she realized was way too much excitement. She finished in a much calmer voice, "I'd love that."

 **A/N: I hope you all enjoyed that. I am going to work harder about getting things out more timely. I definitely have a plan on where this is going and my fiancee is helping to keep me on track. Who's excited to see this coffee date?**


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: I was having some trouble getting this chapter all typed up so I hope that y'all enjoyed it. I think things are about to get interesting. Stay tuned.**

Waverly's heart fluttered with each thought of the red haired ranch hand. She stood in her room looking out of her window. She hoped that she would get another glimpse of Nicole doing some sort of manual labor. She knew it was wrong to objectify the other woman but if there was one thing hotter than when Nicole Haught walked into Shorty's clad in leather, it was seeing that exquisite musculature in denim and a tank top doing physical labor. And to her delight, Nicole was much more than a pretty face.

Waverly kept reminiscing about the feeling she felt throughout her entire body the minute she touched the other woman. She felt alive for the first time and all she wanted was more. There was something about Nicole. Something that Waverly had never found in anyone else. Definitely not something that she found in Champ Hardy or any other would be suitor who tried to get her into bed after they had exchanged a few words. Nicole Haught was a different species.

She couldn't wait until their coffee date. She wanted to learn everything about the strong redhead that was busy tending to the animals and hoisting hay. Waverly could see how strong Nicole was and how she made sure to not show any weakness despite the apparent injuries to the lower half of her body. The young Earp wanted to know everything she could about the new ranch hand, especially why she wore the braces on her knees. As she thought about it, she realized she knew very little about the other woman, but she knew that she needed to know everything she could. One thing Waverly did know was that she was going to do everything in her power to keep Nicole from moving on from the small ranch in Purgatory.

* * *

As Nicole hoisted a stack of 2x4's and her tools into the bed of the blue and white pickup truck that Gus had lent her, she found it difficult to keep her mind on the task at hand. How had one simple barmaid infiltrated her brain and burrowed deep so that she could think of nothing else but her? The answer was simple. Waverly Earp was no simple barmaid. She was so much more. Nicole knew almost nothing about the young brunette but she knew that. Waverly was an angel sent from heaven, a celestial being sent down to jump start the cold dead heart that resided deep inside Nicole's chest. Sent to Earth to mend the broken pieces left when she was abandoned in that hospital in Europe by the only person Nicole had let in enough to want to be family.

The injured marine started thinking about her future. She had wanted to ride her bike as fast as she could so that she could outrun the memories of the only family she had ever had other than the Marines, a "family" who had left her all alone in her time of need. But in a day she had a new job, a new home, and someone in her life that made her forget all about...what was her name again? Of course nothing could actually make her forget Alex, but with that toothy grin that Waverly Earp would flash just for her, the painful thoughts of lost love disappeared for a little while. As she steered the truck out to the fence she needed to mend she realized, she was in trouble.

* * *

 _It's just coffee._ Waverly stood in the middle of a pile of clothes on her bedroom floor in front of her mirror. She had tried on 50 different outfits but none of them seemed good enough for her coffee date with Nicole. She didn't know why the redhead made her so completely nervous. All she knew is she wanted the simple coffee date to go perfectly and that started with the perfect outfit.

 _Relax, Waverly. This isn't like you. You don't get gaga over someone like this._ She did the best she could to focus on her breathing so she could calm herself down. It was just coffee. It wasn't like they were getting married. Even the thought of marriage sent Waverly's head spinning. She was always the practical one. She had to be. She didn't daydream. She didn't have time for silly things like that. But she couldn't help but think about what forever might be like as the future Mrs. Nicole Haught. Haught-Earp? Maybe Nicole would take her name. But who in their right mind would ever choose to be an Earp. Shaking her head to clear the daydream from her thoughts, she reminded herself once again, _It's just coffee._

The brunette had finally decided on an outfit, although she still wasn't happy. Nothing seemed good enough. 30 pairs of tight jeans and what seemed like a million tops, most which bared her midriff, and she just hoped that Nicole would love what she picked. It was so unlike her to get this way, to care what someone thought of her outfit, to change a million times before a date, but she knew whatever she wore could never look as amazing as even the dirtiest of rags draped over the muscular shoulders of the statuesque redhead.

Waverly turned to leave the room and saw Gus staring at her with a weird smile. "What?" Waverly started looking all around herself. "Is there something wrong with this outfit? Do I need to change? I'll change." She started to head back to her closet.

"Waverly, wait." Gus yelled and started after the girl. "You look beautiful."

Waverly turned and Gus wrapped her in a big hug. "Waverly," she pulled her niece away at arm's length, "I have never seen you care so much what someone else thought of you. You are strong, beautiful, and brilliant. You don't need to worry. Anyone who thinks that you aren't the best thing that ever walked in their life is crazy and not worth your time. But I have seen the look in that young Marine's eyes. She is absolutely smitten with you and has been since she first walked into Shorty's. I'm sure you could dress in a paper sack and she would be at your beck and call." She pulled her niece in once more and kissed her on her forehead.

"Thank you, Gus," Waverly smiled a wide smile and hugged her aunt. "I don't know what it is about Nicole. She makes me feel a flutter deep inside every time I see her. I just want everything to go perfect."

"Waverly, if there is one thing I have learned in my life is that the more you try to make something perfect, the less perfect it will be. The best thing to do is to just relax and try your best to enjoy the company of that redhead who is getting ready in the barn." Gus smiled at her niece. Waverly smiled back and decided to give the other woman one more hug so that she could try to convey just how much her aunt meant to her.

As she began to squeeze the other woman in a tight hug, they both heard a sharp and very distinct three knocks on the front door. Waverly's heart began to pound to the point that she was legitimately scared that it would break right through her ribcage and right out of her chest. Gus could feel as her niece's heart rate escalated. She pushed back from the hug and looked the younger woman right in her scared face and smiled.

"Everything is going to be fine, Waverly. I never had children. I sometimes think that's why Curtis thought so much of his tomatoes, like they were his children. But you and your sister, you are the closest things that I ever had to children. I love you like you were my own daughter, Waverly Earp. You are an amazing young woman and that girl would be a fool not to love every little thing about you." Gus gave Waverly one more quick hug before heading to the door. "You finish getting ready. I'll go downstairs and stall. And by that I mean I will go downstairs and sit in awkward silence with the person who has come to take my little girl on a date," Gus winked, "So don't be too long."

Gus headed downstairs and Waverly turned to face the mirror, wiping a tear away and fixing her makeup. She looked over her outfit one more time and sighed. "You've got this, Waverly," she said, giving herself a mini peptalk, "You are an Earp and she'd be blind to not see how absolutely amazing you are."

* * *

Nicole stood at the front door and took a deep breath in. She never imagined that she would be going out with anyone so soon. It was just coffee but there was just something about Waverly that had her thinking that it was so much more than just coffee. Never in in her life had she experienced the way time had seemed to stop when she was around Waverly. Not even Alex had had that effect on her. She wished that she had something better to wear but she had only a few sets of civies in her pack when she got off the ship and she hadn't had the chance to shop for anything else. Luckily, she found one last clean pair of jeans and a button-up that hadn't gotten wrinkled at the bottom of her bag. She made a mental note to update her wardrobe as soon as she could.

She had found a flower shop in town and bought a small bouquet for the other woman. She debated whether she should bring flowers, seeing as how it was only a coffee date. But in the end she decided that she didn't care if it seemed too much, it was something that she wanted to do for Waverly. Besides, every girl deserves flowers. And Waverly Earp was not just any girl. That girl made her want to set down roots and she wanted to do whatever she could to earn the opportunity to take Waverly on a real date. For Nicole, the first step was clean clothes and flowers.

She stood at the big door to the farm house and inhaled deeply. Nicole was suave and cool around women and she knew she wanted that confidence on her coffee date but it was hard to get there. She took one more deep breath to collect herself. She was a Marine. She had faced down a lot of things much scarier than a date with a pretty girl. Nicole stood up straight and tall and rapped her fist on the door three distinct times, a nasty habit leftover from the military, and stood silently waiting, not moving a muscle until she heard footsteps approaching the door. The redhead swore that she could feel her heart beat so fast that she was getting light headed. Nicole swore she was going to faint when the door swung open until she saw Gus standing where she expected Waverly to be. She let out the breath that she was apparently holding in and her entire body relaxed.

"This is definitely not what I would expect from a rough and tough Marine." Gus laughed at the site of the obviously frazzled woman standing at her door. "I expected this from her," the older woman gestured upstairs and chuckled. "Come on in, Nicole. She's still getting ready." Gus walked into the living room and pointed to the chair across from her. "Have a seat. It might help you relax."

"I'm sorry, Ma'am. This just isn't like me." Nicole responded nervously.

"Haught, what did I tell you about calling me that?"

"I'm sorry." Nicole hung her head slightly.

"Hey. Nicole. You need to relax. There is no need to be nervous. Let me let you in on a little secret...Waverly has changed her outfit about 300 times just because she can't find the perfect outfit for you. You make her nervous. That's a good thing. It means she likes you." Gus smiled at the other woman as she lifted her head. "Sit. Do you want something to drink? Coffee, tea, whiskey?"

Nicole let out a very nervous chuckle. "No thank you. I don't want to fill up on coffee before my coffee date and it wouldn't really be responsible of me to drink before getting behind the wheel of a car with your niece riding as passenger."

Gus smiled and clapped her hand down on the red-headed woman's knee. "I'm glad you understand the one and only rule I have for you: Respect and protect Waverly. She's like a daughter to me and I will not tolerate anyone that hurts her in any way."

Nicole stood up and for the first time since she had arrived at the front door demonstrated sheer confidence in what she was saying. "Gus, I would never do anything to disrespect Waverly. Even though I don't know much about her, I can tell that there is something very special about her. I will do everything in my power to protect her."

Gus stood to meet Nicole's eyes before looking just above her shoulder. "Well she's got my vote. Y'all have a great time."

Nicole whipped around to find Waverly standing halfway down the stairs. The smaller girl had a stray tear making its way down her cheek and a wide smile stretched across her face. Nicole felt the crimson color rise in her cheeks. She decided to play off her embarrassment as confidence and walked over to where the other woman stood. She reached her hand up to Waverly's cheek and wiped the lonely tear away and placed her hand under the other girl's chin. "And I mean every word. There is something very special about you, Waverly Earp."

Waverly's head started to spin. Not only was Nicole Haught the most attractive thing to ever walk into Shorty's but witnessing the redhead vow to her aunt that she would protect her had Waverly swooning. She could barely stand steady on her two legs when the other woman walked over to her and said she was special. Waverly could have sworn that Nicole was getting embarrassed and it was almost a relief that she wasn't the only one who was nervous until she realized that the only thing that the other woman exuded was mass amounts of confidence. And even though she was disappointed that her nervousness wasn't shared, whatever Nicole Haught was thinking and feeling just made her more attractive than Waverly thought even possible. The young woman didn't know if she was going to be able to make it through the coffee date without attacking the other woman.

Nicole extended her hand and Waverly grabbed ahold, ready for wherever this white knight was whisking her off to. The red head led her to the door and, before stepping outside, turned towards Gus and smiled. "I promise I will have her home safe and sound."

"Waverly," Gus called out to her niece, causing her to turn and smile. She waited to hear what little nugget of advice or profession of love her aunt had for her. The older woman looked at her niece and with a serious face said, "Please don't keep my ranch hand out too late. She has work in the morning."

* * *

The pair walked out the door, hand in hand, and felt the cool chill of the night whip across their faces. Waverly looked around, noticing that Nicole didn't have a car parked outside waiting for them. "Well...um, I guess we could take my Jeep."

"Or…" Nicole had a smirk on her face as she walked over to her bike, "we could take this."

"Isn't it a little chilly to ride a motorcycle? And is it even safe?" Waverly had a slight tremble to her voice and Nicole wasn't quite sure if it was because of the cold or because she was nervous.

"Well," the redhead turned to the storage compartment of the bike and pulled out a leather jacket, "this can help with the cold. And I have a helmet with your name on. And as an added layer of protection from both the cold and the danger of the road," Nicole's mouth formed a little smirk, "you can just hold on to me really tight."

Waverly felt a rush of heat to her face that made her forget about the chill in the air. The thought of being pressed so close to the other woman, her hands gripping her waist, was too much for the smaller girl and she couldn't control the red rising in her cheeks. Nicole noticed the response that she got from the other woman and her smirk only grew. She was doing her best to control her own external response at the thought of those arms wrapped around her.

Waverly climbed into the leather jacket that was a few sizes too big and Nicole couldn't help but smile at how adorable the other girl looked. The redhead donned her own leather jacket and straddled her bike, lifting her helmet to the other woman, beckoning Waverly to join her. The young Earp cautiously approached the seated redhead and wrapped her legs around the motorcycle as well. She hoisted the slightly heavy helmet onto her head and pushed up her sleeves before immediately wrapping herself around the other woman so tightly that it almost knocked the wind out of Nicole. The Marine didn't mind. She didn't mind not being able to breathe when it meant Waverly Earp being that close to her. She turned the key and, in seconds, they were both enjoying the night wind nipping at their faces.

* * *

There was only one coffee shop in Purgatory. It wasn't a chain shop where local soccer moms gathered to drink overly sugary beverages so they could forget they had children for a few minutes. It was a place where you could sit in the dim lights and have a conversation with another person. Nicole appreciated that it wasn't like the places that she had to deal with en masse when she was in the Marines. It was more like the tiny coffee shops she had visited when she had been in ports in Malta and Rhota. It reminded her of the good times she had curled up on a couch with a good book or a cute girl. It made her think of how she wanted to be cuddled up on the couch with one particular cute girl in the near future.

Despite the emptiness of the coffee shop, Nicole escorted Waverly to a comfy spot in the back away from anyone who might try to interrupt their evening. They sat on a sofa that was big enough for the two to sit apart from each other so they could converse comfortably but Nicole had picked the couch in case the evening progressed to a point where the other woman might feel comfortable to lean into her and just be there together. The Marine knew it was a ridiculous thought that Waverly would feel that comfortable on a first date but that didn't stop the pull at the edge of her lips and she fought the urge to project the biggest smile ever.

"Nicole…" The angelic voice stirred her from her daydream. The redhead blinked her eyes to reset herself and saw Waverly and a waitress staring back at her.

"Oh...um… I'll have a cappuccino, extra shot of espresso." Nicole said quickly trying to shake off any sign of embarrassment.

"Ma'am, you know that it already has two shots…" the waitress started to correct Nicole's order.

"Yeah I know." She cut the waitress off. "I want it with three, if that's okay." Nicole flashed a smile at the waitress that made her dimple pop out.

"Of course." The waitress stumbled off, obviously flustered because of the smile.

An irritated Waverly scooted closer so that her leg was touching the other woman's on the couch. "I kinda wanted something as well." She looked over at Nicole, who was confused at what was going on. "Apparently no one can resist that smile of yours. But if she thinks that she is going to interrupt my date, she's sadly mistaken." Waverly flashed a smile back at the other woman who was clueless as to what was going on but could tell that Waverly was not happy with the waitress. She didn't really mind though because all she could think about was how Waverly was now sitting almost on top of her.

When the waitress returned with the biggest smile, Nicole's drink, and a few more of the buttons to her shirt unbuttoned, Nicole finally realized that Waverly was upset with more than the fact she did not have her drink order taken. The waitress leaned down to place the cup of coffee, lingering to ensure that the stunning redhead was able to notice the cleavage she was flashing in her face. Nicole smiled at her. "Oh and my girlfriend would like…" She turned to Waverly to let her answer.

Waverly was so caught off guard by the fact that Nicole had called her her girlfriend that she could barely answer. "Ummm… coffee," she managed to squeak out. When the waitress walked away with a dejected huff, Waverly whipped her head back to look at the woman sitting next to her.

Nicole realized why Waverly was giving her the strangest look she had ever seen and quickly jumped to rectify the situation. "Waves...I didn't mean what I just said. Well, I meant to say it to her. But… I was just trying to get her to stop flirting with me. I mean this is our first date. I don't want you to think that I think that makes you my girlfriend. But I needed her to know that tonight, all of my attention is yours."

Waverly couldn't help the smile that crept across her face. To think about how Nicole had turned away a very attractive woman because they were on a date. She couldn't even have a conversation with most of the guys in Purgatory without them checking out every other woman in the room. But Nicole focused all of her attention on her. It was such a refreshing change and made Waverly feel like she was something special.

After the waitress huffed back a few minutes later with Waverly's coffee, being a lot less friendly this trip to their table. After she left the two sat on the couch, sipping their coffee and talking about anything and everything. Waverly was fascinated by the life that Nicole had led to that point. It brought a tear to her eye when Nicole talked about being bounced from home to home and never really having a family. The young Earp thought about how if it wasn't for Gus, her life could have resembled the tragedy that had made the redhead who she was.

But Waverly saw the way Nicole's face lit up when she talked about her time in the Marines. The Marine spoke of the others in her platoon like they had all grown up together in one house, bickering and fighting as they sat around the dinner table. Waverly found it fascinating when Nicole told her that the main reason she had chosen the Military Police MOS because it was the closest thing she could get to infantry as a woman but how she didn't request a transfer when women were finally allowed to serve in the infantry because she loved being an MP. And a tear started to roll down Waverly's cheek as the redhead recounted the events of the helicopter crash that could have ended her life but only ended her career. The young Earp was mesmerized by the life of the other woman. She had never left Purgatory and the woman before her had traveled the world. Every story that Nicole told made Waverly fall further under the spell of the other woman.

"Wow, Nicole. You have lived this amazing life. You have been in war zones, helicopter crashes, and beautiful cities that I have only read about in books and online. I, on the other hand, have traveled the distance from the homestead where I grew up to Shorty's and maybe to the far end of Gus's farm. I've done nothing. I feel like my life has been wasted." Waverly dropped her head, embarrassed.

"Hey," Nicole reached out a hand to lift the chin of the other woman, "your life hasn't been wasted. You've worked and studied all while being the only help on your aunt's farm. You have sacrificed and struggled to support your family and better yourself. You have done everything you could to be there for the people who you love and who love you back. That isn't wasted. I would give up all the stories and adventures to have the family that you have."

The words came out as a whisper, as if in that busy coffee shop, their conversation was completely private between the two of them. As the words spilled out of the soft lips, Waverly couldn't help but stare. Nicole was impossibly close to her, their faces inches away from each other. All the young Earp wanted to do was to close the distance and stop the sad words coming from those lips with her own. As if Nicole could read her mind, the Marine moved closer, their lips just about to touch when a shout from across the room caused Nicole to quickly pull back.

"I guess what they say is true, Haughtstuff! You do have a girl in every port."

 **A/N 2: I was having some trouble getting this chapter all typed up so I hope that y'all enjoyed it. I think things are about to get interesting. Stay tuned.**


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N:** **I'm so sorry it took me so long to update. Some days I just don't know what to write. Hopefully I won't make a habit of it. While you read this just remember that this is a journey. Things aren't always easy and Wayhaught, as always, is end game. Enjoy.**

Although the shout made Nicole quickly retreat from the lips of Waverly Earp, she didn't need to look up to see who had uttered the words. Only one person with any business in Purgatory would ever call her by that name. Wynonna. Of course she had to get off the ship and walk into that particular coffee shop at the exact moment that Nicole was moving in to kiss Waverly. She heard footsteps approach them as she stared at the younger Earp with wide eyes before looking up to meet eyes with her friend.

"Didn't mean to ruin your date, Haughtstuff, but I thought this poor girl you suckered into going out with you deserved to be warned about the lady killer that she was with."

Nicole could feel the heat rise in her face and she knew that her cheeks had to be bright red. She watched the look on Waverly's face morph from one of cute innocence to something much more serious. The brunette sitting with her whipped around so that she could face the obnoxious sound of her sister's teasing voice.

"She is being a complete gentle...uh...gentlelady."

It took a moment for Wynonna to process who she had suddenly come face to face with. It then took a few more seconds to piece together the puzzle. It suddenly dawned upon her that it was her baby sister whose lips were inches away from the lips of her friend. She looked at Nicole and then back at here sister. Wynonna stood silent, words escaping her, something that the other two girls knew was completely out of character for the older Earp girl. Nicole decided that it was better to try to break the awkward silence that filled the coffee shop.

"Wy, we were just…"

"I have eyes, Haught. I know exactly what you two were just doing. I didn't go on and on about my hometown so that you could show up here and try to score with my baby sister." Wynonna reached out her hand to her sister. "Come on, Waverly. Let's head back to Gus's so that we can chat."

Waverly looked from Wynonna to Nicole and back before responding to her older sister, "No, Wynonna. Nicole is perfectly capable of driving me back to the farm." She turned back and smiled at the redheaded Marine.

The older Earp stood silent, stewing on the words that had just come out of her sister's mouth. Finally, it seemed that her brain had processed that her sister was choosing to stay against her wishes and the anger grew inside her. "Whatever Waves. Don't say that I never did the big sister thing for you." Wynonna turned to walk away and muttered under her breath, "I need a drink," before walking out the door, practically slamming the door of the coffee shop as she left.

Nicole sat quietly, in complete confusion of what had just happened. Wynonna Earp was her best friend. Probably the only friend she had after she was abandoned in that hospital by the woman she thought she loved. Her intentions in coming to Purgatory were never malicious. She didn't even set out to end up there. She just kind of stumbled upon it. And she would never do anything to hurt Waverly. She was the first person to make her feel anything after Alex left her. Nicole had no idea that when she had accepted the job from Gus that someone would be there that would make her forget about her broken heart, let alone someone like Waverly. There was no way she could have ever imagined she'd meet a girl like Waverly because there was no one else in the world like Waverly Earp.

Nicole's dumb look of confusion quickly changed to one of adoration when she thought of the young Earp. It wasn't until her brain was filled with thoughts of Waverly that it cleared of all confusion caused by the sudden interruption by Wynonna and she remembered that she wasn't sitting there alone. She turned her gaze from the door where Wynonna had stormed off to the face of the girl sitting across from her. The minute she looked at the sweet face in front of her, she noticed the tear running down her cheek.

The redhead Marine sprang to action, wrapping her arms around the other woman. All she wanted to do was provide all the comfort in the world to Waverly. She took one hand, wiped the tear from the other girl's cheek, and stared deep into sad eyes.

"Waves, everything will be ok. She just got caught off guard. She didn't expect to see us here together and she didn't know how to process it. Don't worry." She did her best to comfort the other woman. She squeezed her tight and sat back down in her seat. Then, right before her eyes, the look of absolute sadness and loss evolved into one of anger and rage.

"What right did she have to burst in here and make demands of me? She left. She hasn't been here. I'm the one that stayed here and took care of everything. I'm the one that sacrificed to take care of the farm. She has no right."

Waverly wasn't necessarily talking to Nicole but rather speaking out loud into the ether in order to sort out the complex feelings that dwelled deep in her brain. There were a lot of emotions and feelings that Waverly had buried down deep when her sister left and the weight of everything had been piled on her shoulders. Wynonna's interruption had been the push that had broken open the dam and everything came flowing to the surface. Nicole watched as the red tint pooled in the other girl's cheeks. She did her best to hold back the smile that threatened to spread across her face. She couldn't help it. Angry Waverly was so passionate and forceful.

When the redhead noticed that the smaller girl had calmed down, she scooted closer and put her hand up to the other girl's cheek. She looked into Waverly's eyes as she spoke. "Waves, you have every right to be angry. But right now, it's just you and me. I am here for anything that you need and if you need me to be a sounding board for your rage, I will be that for you. But I would really like to enjoy our time together."

Waverly took a deep breath and looked at Nicole. She smiled and instantly relaxed the moment that she saw Nicole's dimples pop. "I'm so sorry, Nicole. I'm sorry that my sister ruined our coffee date. I have kind of a difficult family and I understand if you don't want to do this again." Waverly tried to drop her head but Nicole held her face up so that she couldn't look away.

"If you think that you can scare me off by getting your sister to come here and yell at me, you've never met a United States Marine before. We don't scare away that easily." She winked at the smaller girl, causing a big smile to break out across her face. Nicole brushed her thumb over Waverly's cheek. "Why don't we head home and I promise I will take you out for a real date, minus any Wynonna interruptions."

Waverly chuckled, a sight and sound that Nicole knew she could definitely get used to. "You and I both know that we will never get a minute to alone in this town let alone a whole date night. All my life, Wynonna has always had a knack for busting in at the absolute wrong moment."

As she talked, the brunette let her eyes wander down to the pink lips that she had been moments away from kissing when her sister had unceremoniously burst through the door. She yearned to have that moment back and cursed her sister for ruining it. As she let her stare rest for maybe a moment too long on the redhead's lips, she watched as Nicole licked her them, a habit that Waverly had noticed. She wasn't even sure if Nicole knew that she did it but it drove Waverly crazy.

Nicole stood up from her seat and extended her hand, the chivalrous gesture causing the other woman to swoon. Nicole was like something out of a movie. She was like a modern day knight and Waverly would be more than happy to ride off with her into happily ever after. She grasped the hand that was in front of her and stood up a little too quickly, launching her into the arms of the redhead, catching them both by surprise.

They stood there in the coffee shop, locked in each other's arms. Nicole didn't want it to end. Her nostrils filled with the scent of Waverly's shampoo and she could feel her heart rate rise. She was afraid it would beat right out of her chest. Waverly was so soft and fit perfectly. Nicole wanted to stay that way forever. It was like the entire world disappeared when they were locked together in that embrace. But the redhead knew that they couldn't stay that way and eventually she pulled away.

She looked down at Waverly and spoke softly as if all the air had left her lungs and she was using her last breaths to speak. "After you."

Waverly began to move forward on weak legs. She couldn't imagine what she would feel like after kissing Nicole if this is what happened after a simple hug. There was something about the simple touch of the redhead that calmed her and made her feel safe. She wanted more of that. A whole lot more.

Waverly walked towards the door as Nicole walked close behind. Thoughts of Waverly's perfection swam around in the redheads mind mixed with the nagging reminder that her best friend had stormed off. Nicole knew that there was something so special about the younger Earp but Wynonna was her friend, one of the only friends she had. And more than that, she had been the closest thing that Nicole had to family for a long time. She really didn't want to lose her.

The redhead was lost in her own thoughts as she walked out into the cold night. She was in a daze as she approached her bike until she looked and saw the most beautiful sight she had ever seen with her own eyes. Once again Waverly Earp was cloaked in her leather jacket and the sight caused the Marine's brain to empty of all thoughts but the girl in front of her. She was an angel and the moonlight illuminated her face perfectly as she straddled Nicole's prized possession. Nicole couldn't help but stare at the vision of beauty in front of her. She smiled at the young brunette before hopping in front of her and throwing on her helmet. Waverly wrapped her arms around Nicole tight and the redhead could swear she felt the air leave her lungs. Nicole smiled as she started the bike and sped off towards the farm.

* * *

As the bike pulled up to the farmhouse, Nicole noticed a figure standing on the porch. Even though the figure was completely cast in shadow, she knew that her friend wasn't over their earlier encounter and she was waiting for them to return. Nicole pulled the bike up to the porch and took off her helmet. She stared at the older Earp sister for a moment before turning around on the bike to face Waverly.

"I've had a wonderful night, Waverly." She stood up and put down the kickstand before stepping off of the bike. Nicole extended her hand to Waverly to assist her off the bike. "I will see you tomorrow."

She saw the look of protest painted on the brunette's face the minute she removed her helmet. She saw the sadness as Waverly moved to remove the leather jacket that Nicole had let her borrow. Nicole quickly leaned in and whispered in her ear, "Why don't you keep it until our next date."

The redheaded Marine saw the smile spread across Waverly's face. It made her smile in return. Waverly hopped off the motorcycle and wrapped the jacket around her tighter. She made her way up the porch, past her scowling sister,and headed towards the door. As she opened the door, the brunette turned back, staring down her older sister.

"I...I just…"

"Go inside, Waverly. I need to have a little talk with my friend here." Wynonna's face was emotionless and her eyes never left the redheaded ranch hand.

"You know this isn't your place to say anything, Wynonna. You aren't my mother. You aren't even the woman who raised me. She's inside. She knows exactly where I was tonight and who I went with. I don't need your permission to date anyone and I don't need you to screen or intimidate the people I see."

Nicole was surprised by the bite in Waverly's voice. She didn't want to come between the two sisters. And the farm hand knew that she owed it to her friend to listen to her "reasonable" concerns about whatever was blooming between Nicole and Waverly. As she watched the object of her affection glare at the older Earp with such fire that it sent shivers down her spine she realized that she needed to deescalate the situation.

Nicole spoke up in a soft tone that was barely loud enough to be heard over the tense moment occurring on the porch, "Waverly, I think Wynonna and I need to talk. I'll see you later."

The younger Earp looked briefly at Nicole, then back to her sister before finally letting out a huff and heading inside. Nicole watched as she walked inside and closed the door before she turned back to Wynonna, whose gaze had never left her.

"Should we go somewhere to talk? How about we go to my room?" Nicole did her best to keep things civil and calm. She had seen what an angry Wynonna looked like and that wasn't going to help anyone.

"You mean my barn?" The brunette's anger evident in her voice.

The ranch hand was doing her best to keep control of the situation, but there was only so much she would put up with. "No, I mean Gus's barn that she is allowing me to live in. Nicole turned and walked off in the direction of the barn, hoping that the other girl was following behind her.

* * *

Nicole was worried but she wasn't afraid. She didn't scare easily. Nicole was a Marine and had faced much worse than Wynonna Earp. But she was worried because she cared for both of the Earp girls. Being someone that never had much family to speak of, she didn't want to lose the few people that she had in her life that she could rely on. She had to make this right. She had to make Wynonna see that her intentions with Waverly were pure. In the short amount of time that she had known the younger Earp, she knew that there was something special between them. She just had to get Wynonna to see it.

Nicole walked into the barn ahead of the other woman and took a deep breath. She was ready to stand up to her friend. The redhead spun around, ready to stand strong, and came face to face with Wynonna, a stern look painted on her face. The redhead was taken aback by the other woman being right there when she turned around and it took some of the wind from her sails.

Wynonna stood for a minute just staring down the other woman before she finally spoke, disrupting the silence that had surrounded them. "What the fuck, Haught?"

Nicole wasn't really sure how to respond to the question. She started to speak, to say anything to calm her friend. "Wy, I...I…"

She was interrupted by the angry words of Wynonna. "Cut the shit, Nicole. I had hoped, really, really hoped that you would find your way here after you got out. I know you didn't have any family and after that bitch left you and I thought how awesome it would be to have my bro, my sister from a different mister, as my wingman in my hometown when I returned. That's why I went on and on about this shit hole. Did you really think that this tiny town that I joined the Navy to get away from was the end all be all town that I made it out to be? Most people here hate me. But I knew if you made your way here it would be like it was on the ship, but with lots more booze and a lot less rules. I was lost when I separated from the Navy until Gus told me you were here and helping her out on the farm. I had no idea what I was going to do but I knew that my best friend would be with me and shit would just work out."

Wynonna had a big smile on her face but it began to fall as she continued. "I was soooo excited. But then I get here and find you about to kiss my baby sister?"

Nicole reached out to put a hand on Wynonna's shoulder. "Wy, this doesn't change anything between us. We can still have a good time and figure out the rest of our lives. And the thing with Waverly? I promise, Wynonna, I am not just trying to get in her pants. I think there is something there. I didn't seek it out. We just kind of connected. She isn't a one night thing. I haven't even kissed her yet."

"As much as I joke about you being a lady killer, Haught, I know you. You are a hopeless romantic. I was the one, sitting on the mess deck, listening to you pine away over that thunder cu… "

"Wy!" Nicole quickly cut off her friend.

"You're proving my point, Nicole. You gave that bitch your heart. You did nothing but think of her. And the minute that things got a little inconvenient for her she bailed. She stomped on your heart when you needed her the most. I never liked her and every time I tried to tell you how big of a trash pile she really was you defended her and wouldn't listen. And even though she has moved on and treated you like garbage, you still come to her defense when I try to talk about her true demonic form. You won't let me call her the only name that adequately describes her heinousness. She doesn't deserve one nice word and you protect her. Because deep down, you still care about her."

Nicole quickly spoke up, "Wynonna, I don't...She doesn't…" She didn't know how to respond. Wynonna was right. Somewhere down deep, she still cared for Alex. She wanted to spend the rest of her life with her at one time. She knew they were never going to be together. She wasn't delusional. But she couldn't deny that she felt a twinge thinking about her.

"That's it Haught. You haven't dealt with what you had and what she did to you. You haven't dealt with those feelings. She may be out of your life but she isn't gone completely up here." Wynonna tapped Nicole on the forehead. "Have you even told my sister that you were engaged? Have you talked about She Who Shall Not Be Named?"

Nicole hung her head and Wynonna knew the answer. "Haughtstuff, you know I always say that the best way to get over someone is to get under someone else. It's my life motto and I strongly believe it. But I would really rather it if my baby sister wasn't your rebound. Even if you think your intentions are pure, until you deal with things, you won't be able to move on."

Nicole wasn't sure if Wynonna was completely right, but she knew that she couldn't bare to hurt Waverly if Wynonna's analysis of things was on target. She really thought that she might have something with the younger Earp and the possibility that she might eventually break Waverly's heart was not something she could handle.

Wynonna could see the sadness in her friend's eyes. She didn't want to upset the redhead but she had to protect the only family she had. She put her hand on Nicole's shoulder.

"Hey, maybe you and Waverly will be great together. I mean you both love me, so at least there is that in common. But for me, your best friend, hell, your only friend, deal with your issues. And don't break my sister's heart or I will break your neck." The older Earp smiled and noticed a half smile break out on her friend's face. She pulled her into a hug, the first since they had seen each other.

"Nicole, I was so sorry to hear about your accident. I really wanted to come see you, especially after you emailed me about Alex. But you know the military, never recognizing the importance of bros. But I'm out now and you and I are going to have a blast. And if you really want to test my theory about getting under someone else, I can introduce you to some of Purgatory's finest females that do not share DNA with me. I'm sure there are plenty of upstanding young ladies that would love to pounce on a sexy, redhead Marine with a motorcycle and stories about service related injuries."

Nicole laughed with Wynonna but internally she was torn apart about how she was going to handle her situation with Waverly. The feeling she got when she held the younger Earp in her arms was like nothing she had ever felt before, not even with her once fiancee. She didn't want to lose that. But Nicole knew that that she wouldn't be able to live with herself if she hurt the other woman because she was too selfish to wait.


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: Sorry this took so long. I had a half written chapter sitting around for a little bit and no idea of what I wanted to do to finish it. Hope y'all enjoy.**

Wynonna went back inside the farmhouse, leaving Nicole alone with her thoughts in the barn. She knew that she really needed to get some sleep because she didn't get a day off from working on the farm but it was impossible to sleep when all she could think about was Waverly. She knew what the right thing to do was and she knew what she wanted to do. But those two things weren't the same.

Nicole knew that she needed time to actually think. But that meant that she needed some time away from Waverly. Whenever she was around the brunette, she couldn't think about anything other than wrapping her arms around her and never letting go. But Nicole needed to think without her heart getting in the way. She knew that withdrawing from Waverly would hurt the other girl. That was the last thing thing she wanted. But she knew she had to pull back if she had any hope of moving forward.

The next morning, Nicole woke up even earlier than usual, something that she would have thought was impossible before she actually did it. In the Marines she had her fair share of early mornings, but after getting almost no sleep, she knew that it was going to be a long day. She didn't expect Waverly to be up quite so early so she hoped that she could get the necessary chores finished at the barn before disappearing to a far corner of the farm where, under the guise of fixing the fence, she could have time to think and sort out her feelings. The farm was big enough that she could vanish to a spot where no one would find her until she was ready.

She wasn't trying to be mean or "ghost" Waverly. She just needed time. Nicole knew it would be so much easier to just talk to the other woman. Waverly was the most intelligent person she had ever met. Nicole knew she would understand. That wasn't the problem. The problem was that she didn't know if she could stay away. Nicole was afraid that if she tried to tell Waverly she needed time to think she would chicken out and dive head first without dealing with her issues.

She finished mucking the stalls and feeding the numerous varieties of animals that needed to be fed before she escaped to the far reaches of the farm. She began loading everything she needed for a day away from everyone else into Gus's truck when she heard the unmistakable sound of the screen door on the front of the farm house opening. Nicole prayed that when she looked up she would see Gus or Wynonna standing on the porch looking at her. But when Nicole raised her head, to her delight and slight dismay, only saw an angel smiling at her.

Nicole couldn't help but smile when she saw Waverly Earp staring back at her. The brunette was bundled up in her leather jacket, the one Nicole had given her the previous night, over top her pajamas and fuzzy slippers, holding a travel mug in her hands. Nicole began to melt, just like she knew she would. Her heart swelled at the sight of the adorable woman wrapped up in jacket. But she had to stay strong. She knew that she couldn't let the big beautiful smile of the young Earp pull her back in before she had the time to sort out her feelings.

She forced her smile down and walked towards the porch.

"Good morning, Waverly." Nicole did her best to hide all emotion in her voice. She wanted to wrap her arms around the other woman, especially after seeing her wearing her jacket. But she couldn't play with Waverly that way. She couldn't hurt her because of her own issues.  
Nicole felt a sharp pain in her chest looking at the big smile spread across Waverly's face as she spoke. "Nicole," the joy in Waverly's voice was reminiscent of the sweetest song that she had ever heard, "you are up early. I was hoping to surprise you in the barn." The brunette shoved the travel mug ahead of her towards Nicole. "I made you some coffee."

Internally, the Marine wanted to scream. Waverly Earp was so sweet and thoughtful and quite possibly the best person she had ever met. She hated that she needed to distance herself. She just kept repeating to herself that it was for the good of both of them. Nicole took a deep breath in order to build her courage before reaching out for the travel mug.

"Thank you. I could really use this today."

Waverly smiled as Nicole took the mug but quickly an awkwardness came over them as they silently stared at each other.

Nicole rubbed the back of her neck. "I...um...I really need to get out to the fence or I won't get my work done before it gets dark." Her voice was empty and rigid.

Waverly was confused by Nicole's tone but continued to be cheery. "Do you think that you might be in at lunch? I could make some sandwiches for both of us. I would love to spend some time with you before I need to head to Shorty's." The younger Earp was hopeful. She couldn't help but want to spend every minute of her free time with the red headed ranch hand. She would never admit it out loud, but she had spent the night wrapped in the leather jacket, breathing in the smell of Nicole, dreaming that it was Nicole's arms wrapped around her. But when she pulled herself from her thoughts, she noticed that the other woman's face remained emotionless and she felt the sting of rejection prick at her tear ducts.

Nicole knew that eating lunch with Waverly was the opposite of what of what she needed to be doing. She needed to get out to the fence. She needed to get away from that million dollar smile. She loved that smile. She could spend hours and completely lose herself in that smile. As she stood there and watched that smile fall from Waverly's face, she knew she was being very distance had hurt the other woman. But she knew that the pain she was causing the other woman at that moment was just temporary. If she was stupid and jumped in to something with the younger Earp without dealing with her own pain, she would only bring the other woman down with her. Nicole couldn't bring such an angel down into her mess.

"Waves…" She reached out her hand and placed it on the other girl's shoulder. "I...umm...Waverly, I just need a little space." She didn't know what else to say. It was vague and offered nothing to comfort the other woman. She retracted her arm and hung her head. "I'm sorry. I...have a lot of work to do today." Nicole looked over her shoulder at Gus's truck before turning back to face Waverly, who she could tell was moments from bursting into tears. It broke Nicole's heart.

"I'll see you later , Waverly." Her voice was defeated. Nicole couldn't take the hurt that she herself was causing. She couldn't take the hurt she was causing Waverly. It was tearing her apart. She needed to leave. She turned and walked towards the truck. As she opened the door she did everything she could not to look up at the the beautiful but heartbroken woman standing in front of her. She drove off towards the fence, her eyes welling up with tears and a solitary one trailing down her cheek.

* * *

As she watched the truck speed off, Waverly stood in shock of what had just occurred. When she had left Nicole the night before, her head swam with thoughts of the beautiful redhead on her motorcycle. She couldn't wait to see her again, to breathe that smell that could only be described as vanilla dipped donuts that always surrounded the other woman.

Waverly had made sure to set her alarm early so she could surprise Nicole with coffee to help her get through the early morning. She was so excited that she couldn't sleep and was up long before her alarm went off. She had leapt out of bed, pulled the leather jacket tight around her body, and hurried off towards the kitchen. She grabbed one of the travel mugs that had been her personal lifesaver when she was doing the job of two people. She made sure to brew a large pot of coffee, enough to fill the mug and have some left over for herself.

Waverly paced around the kitchen, alternating between staring out of the window that faced the barn and the clock on the microwave. She knew that it might be another hour before Nicole came out to of the barn to start the day, but she just couldn't sit still. Waverly just wanted to be near the other woman again and couldn't handle being apart.

When she saw the barn door slowly open, she swore that her heart skipped a beat. Nicole was so beautiful, but nothing beat the view for Waverly when she was dressed simply in her work clothes. She loved the view of the ginger mane pulled back in a ponytail, the rest hidden under a dirty, worn in Stetson. There was just something about the simple t shirt and dirty jeans that sent a jolt through the girl's body that made her weak at the knees. Waverly took a deep breath, ran her hands through her hair, grabbed the travel mug of coffee, and hurried to the door. She smiled to herself before pulling the open the screen door.

It all seemed to have happened a lifetime ago. So much had changed. Her interaction with the redhead that morning was so different than what she had experienced the night before. Before she had gone to bed, she could think of nothing but how warm and wonderful Nicole had been. She swore that the attraction between them had been so thick that it practically choked her. Her dreams had been filled with a fury of red hair and two strong but gentle arms holding her. But that morning was so different, so cold, and not just because the crisp morning air.

It was as if overnight Nicole had lost all interest in her. She had got from being inches away from feeling Nicole's lips on her own to barely a smile and a hello from her. Waverly was beside herself. She could not think of any possible reason why anything would change in the matter of hours. Things had gone well. They had talked about another date. They had been seconds from what she could only speculate would be a soft, yet passionate kiss. She had gone straight to bed after she had parted from Nicole and she couldn't imagine that the other girl had done much either, seeing as how she had to be up so early.

That was when it dawned on the younger Earp. The only thing that had happened in between her parting from Nicole and that morning was the "talk" that her sister had insisted in with Nicole. Anger bubbled up inside of the small woman. How dare Wynonna interfere with her life? Her older sister had left and joined the Navy the minute that she turned 18. Gus took care of Waverly and what Gus didn't do, she did herself. She didn't need Wynonna to tell her what to do with her life. She didn't need Wynonna to protect her and she didn't need her to interfere.

Waverly knew that there was no way that Wynonna was awake yet. She knew that her sister had a very skewed sleep schedule when she was on the ship due to the watches that she had to stand. Waverly had seen the schedule that Wynonna kept when she came home on leave and knew she would be keeping to the same. Wynonna would stay up late, drinking, and wouldn't wake up until well into the afternoon. Waverly was fine with her sister's nocturnal lifestyle while on leave. She worked hard on the ship and was often deployed. But when her sister decided to meddle in her life, Waverly didn't care if Wynonna was tired. She didn't respect her life so she refused to respect Wynonna's precious sleep.

Waverly stormed back into the farmhouse. She bounded up the stairs, two at a time, anger boiling up, threatening to explode out on to her sister the minute she saw her. Waverly burst through the door and saw that her sister was passed out in an almost reckless manner. She was shocked that all the noise that she had made bursting through the door didn't even cause the other woman to stir in the slightest.

"WYNONNA!" she yelled out, hoping that that might wake her.

It only caused Waverly to get more angry when her sister wasn't even startled awake by her theatrical entrance. She rushed up to the bed and started to violently shake Wynonna awake.

"What the fuck?" Wynonna finally woke. She looked around for the source of her "attack" until she laid eyes on her younger sister, standing above her, looking furious. "What the hell, baby girl? I am trying to sleep and...shit...my head is pounding. Shit, Waves, it's barely even morning."

"I just burst through your door and screamed your name and you still didn't wake up." Waverly stood with her arms crossed and a pissed off look painted on her face.

"Baby girl, when you are used to sleeping in a crowded berthing on a ship with a multitude of loud women on differing schedules, you can sleep through just about anything." Wynonna stretched and yawned, her joints popping with her movements. "So what's the hubbub? Why are you waking me up this fucking early in the morning?"

Waverly stood, staring at her sister with her arms crossed, the look on her face able to burn a hole through her sister's face.

"Whoa, baby girl. What the hell crawled up your vaj and died?" Wynonna could see that something was really wrong with her sister and she was pretty sure she knew what her problem was. She knew that she couldn't joke her way out of it and decided to confront the problem head on.

"Waverly, I…" Wynonna started to defend herself but Waverly was not having any of it.

"No, Wynonna. You don't get to sit here and talk your way out of this. You are going to sit there and explain to me who the fuck you think you are." Waverly felt like she was about to explode. The words spilled out of her mouth faster than her brain was working.

"So either way I'm supposed to sit here." Wynonna tried her best to add some levity to the situation.

"Shut up, Wynonna." Waverly's face was beet red. She was furious and she was going to make sure that her sister didn't joke her way out of the shitstorm she wanted to rain down on her. "What the fuck is your problem? Why the fuck do you think it's your place to get involved in my life?"

"Baby girl, I'm just trying to do the right thing as your big sister." The smile had faded from Wynonna's face. She truly cared for her little sister and she knew she would do anything to protect her.

"Oh, so you want to be my big sister now. You think that it's cool to run out of my life for years and then just pop back in and 'protect' me?" She was beyond furious. Wynonna could swear that a vein in her forehead was about to burst.

"This isn't your business." Waverly slammed her open hand against her chest. "My life isn't your business. I haven't needed you to protect me. Where were you when Champ or Pete would paw all over me at Shorty's while I was working and I had to just sit there and take it? Where were you while I was driving myself crazy trying to take care of the farm while working and going to school? Where were you when I actually needed you to protect me?" Tears started to stream down the younger Earp's face.

"Waverly." Wynonna moved to wrap up her sister but stopped when Waverly stepped back from her. She sighed. "Waves, I wanted to be there for you. But I needed to be there for me first. I was a mess as a teen. If I had stayed here, I would have been one more thing for you to worry about. Joining the Navy was the best thing for me. But now I am back and I am here for you. As for last night, I simply had a talk with my friend. Because that's what she is, my friend. I know Nicole very well. She was the best friend I had in the military. And the talk we had was something that needed to happen."

Waverly began to relax her anger towards her sister. She loved her sister and could only stay mad at her for so long. "Why Wynonna? Why did the talk need to happen? What is it about Nicole? Please tell me that you didn't scare her away because of some protective crap where 'no friend of yours is good enough for your little sister'." Waverly's words almost came out as begging, pleading for an answer.

"Baby girl, if any of my friends were ever good enough for you, it would be Nicole. I love Haughtstuff like a sister. I would trust her over any of the trash bag losers in this town. I trust her with my life."

"Then, why, Wynonna? Why did you say whatever you said? She acted like I had some sort of plague this morning. She couldn't get away from me fast enough." Waverly collapsed on the bed and let her sadness overcome her. Wynonna moved next to her sister and was finally able to wrap her sister in a hug.

"Nicole has some baggage, Waves. And as much as I want to tell you all about it, she has to be the one to tell you. But she needs to deal with it before she can let you in. Give her the space she needs, Waverly, and hopefully she will let you in before either of you has given up on each other."


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N:** This chapter is a little angsty. Some of y'all may not be happy but I promise that these two are just figuring things out. Nicole has some issues she's working through and they don't just disappear. But I believe in love so hang in there and hopefully, you will enjoy this chapter.

Nicole thanked the heavens for plenty of manual labor to keep her mind off of what she really should have been thinking about. She needed to sort out her life, but every time she started to think about her relationship with Alex ending, her thoughts drifted to Waverly. She couldn't help but beat herself up when the negative thoughts were able to seep into her brain. She couldn't help but think that maybe she was bad for everyone, including Waverly. Maybe she just wasn't enough for the beautiful angel that deserved everything good in the universe.

Deep down inside, Nicole knew that it was silly to think the way she was thinking but she just couldn't help but let the negative thoughts break through. Tears streamed down her face as she thought about everyone in her life that had left her. She knew she couldn't blame herself for the death of her parents. She didn't cause the road to freeze and the car to wreck. But the only reason they were even out on such a nasty day was to get Nicole medicine, so there was no stopping the guilt from weaseling its way in. Then there were the numerous foster families who didn't want her. Maybe if she had been better, one of them would have wanted to keep her. Maybe one would have wanted to be her forever family. But none of them showed any interest in keeping around Nicole for the long run.

Then there was Alex. When Nicole got down on one knee, she thought that she had finally found a home. Alex was her family. She was the first and only person that had ever said yes to being Nicole's forever family. Before Nicole left on deployment, they had started to build a home together, even if it was the home that Alex wanted and didn't want any input from Nicole. Nicole was just happy that she had finally found a family.

But in the end, she again wasn't good enough to keep a family. Alex left her in an email. She didn't mean enough to her fiancee to warrant an in-person break-up or even over the phone. The person who was supposed to be there for her for the rest of her life left her broken in a hospital bed with only an email. Her forever family left her once again and Nicole couldn't help but think that she was the constant. She was the one everyone left.

She cared so much for Waverly, even though she had only known her for a short time. Nicole knew that Waverly was the definition of good. Anyone who had ever witnessed that amazing smile could tell that. Nicole couldn't help but think that all she could ever bring to Waverly's life was heartache and misery. She had never been good enough for anyone. Nicole could easily see that Waverly was a hundred times the person that Alex ever was and she didn't want to be the person that ruined the brightest beacon of good that she had ever encountered. Nicole couldn't do that. She could live with a broken heart. She could live as an empty shell. She had done that many times before. But she couldn't live with ruining Waverly.

It tore Nicole apart to think about the conversation she had to have with Waverly. She knew the other woman would be upset. But it was nothing compared to what her life would be like if they developed a relationship. Tears flooded down her face every time she thought about it. Her only reprieve from the thoughts that were tearing her apart inside was the mind-numbing labor that was a part of her job.

Nicole wiped her brow and smiled at how productive she had been. Due to her diving into her work to keep herself from crying, she was able to fix almost the entire fence on the far side of the property. But her joy and feeling of accomplishment were short-lived as she noticed the sun starting to set. She knew that meant that she had to start heading back to the house and barn, which meant her talk with Waverly was imminent.

Nicole decided that she needed to delay the inevitable for just a little bit longer. She knew that Waverly wasn't scheduled to work at Shorty's, which was good because there weren't many other options in the small town. So Nicole packed up the truck and headed straight for town. She knew that she was covered in dirt and sweat from working all day in the hot sun and she desperately needed a shower, but she knew that she couldn't run the risk of going back home to shower. She knew there was a good possibility that Waverly would be waiting for her.

She drove into town in the blue pickup and park out front of the small bar. As she walked in through the front doors, she saw that the bar was fairly busy. She walked towards the bar and noticed that a bartender that she had yet to meet was behind the bar, serving up beverages to the drunk masses. Nicole pulled up a stool and waited patiently until the assholes at the other end of the bar had finished flirting with her. She didn't blame them. She was very attractive and her "take-no-shit" attitude only added to it. But no one deserved to be treated like a piece of meat and the guys at the bar were doing just that. The redhead smiled and nodded to the bartender, who seemed relieved to have an excuse to leave the thrilling conversation provided by Champ Hardy and his buddy Pete. She hurriedly walked over to where Nicole was sitting and threw down a coaster in front of her.

"Thanks. I thought I'd be stuck there all night talking to those two idiots. Granted, they aren't too bad to look at, but they are dumb as a box of rocks."

"Eh, not really my type so I'll make sure to steer clear." Nicole gave a smile that made her dimple pop. She had always been a natural flirt. She never intended to lead people on. She just found that people were nicer when she put a little more flirt behind her words.

"Ahhh. I see." The bartender smiled a little wider. "Hi. My name is Rosita."

Nicole extended her hand and shook Rosita's. "Hey. I am Nicole. Nicole Haught."

Rosita laughed at hearing the name. "That you are, Nicole. So Nicole Haught, tell me it's my lucky night and that you are single."

Nicole sighed. Technically she was single. She had only been on one date with Waverly. Rosita was very attractive but Nicole didn't feel the zing that she felt with Waverly. Rosita wouldn't be a bad distraction, but that wouldn't help her with any of her problems with Waverly and her issues with Alex. Nicole didn't even know if she wanted that kind of distraction from Waverly. "Well...It's...umm...it's complicated."

Rosita's smile slightly dropped. "I see. Well, if it ever gets uncomplicated, you know where to find me. But I don't do complicated and I never get involved with anyone that is even in 'kind of' a relationship. Not my style. Until then, how about a drink and someone to listen."

Nicole found Rosita's honesty and self-assurance refreshing. She could see herself becoming friends with the other woman. "That sounds great. How about a gin and tonic?"

* * *

All Waverly could do all day was pace around the house, waiting for Nicole to return. She had attempted to work on school work, but it was impossible for her to concentrate when all that kept running through her head were thoughts about Nicole. What was the baggage that Wynonna was talking about? Waverly knew that whatever it was, she could handle it. Nicole just needed to trust her.

She didn't know why, but she knew she wanted to be with Nicole. It only took her a moment being in the presence of the redhead to know that. She wasn't scared off easily. Waverly knew that if Nicole just talked to her, she could help her work through whatever she was going through. She decided that as soon as Nicole came back from her work, no matter when she came back, Waverly was going to confront her. She knew that if she gave Nicole too much space it would only end up hurting them both.

Waverly wasn't surprised when Nicole didn't come in at lunch. She had told her that morning that she wouldn't be in. But Waverly didn't believe it was because she had too much work. She knew that this was a part of Nicole trying to keep herself distant. But Waverly was going to be there when she came home in the evening. Nicole couldn't stay out in the dark. She had to come back to the barn eventually.

As the sun began to set, Waverly stared at the barn, waiting for Nicole to return. She went over what she was going to say to the other woman over and over again in her mind. Waverly Earp was a planner and she had already planned out the entire conversation which ended with Nicole's strong arms wrapped around her.

Waverly paced in the kitchen, staring out the window as the sun set. She started to get antsy when she had yet to see the truck pull up and the sun had disappeared completely. Waverly began to worry. What if Nicole was hurt in some far corner of the farm? What if she was in trouble and needed help? How would she even be able to find her if she was hurt somewhere? The farm was huge and Nicole could be anywhere. Waverly was driving herself crazy worrying until she felt a hand on her shoulder.

"I think you should go to Shorty's," Gus spoke calmly and with love in her voice.

"How can I? What if she is hurt and can't make it home?" Waverly spoke a mile a minute, frantic and panicky.

Just as calmly as before, Gus put her other hand on Waverly's shoulder and turned so that she was looking straight into her niece's eyes. "Honey, I love you. I have done my best to never steer you wrong. So please, just trust me when I say- go to Shorty's."

Waverly took a moment and just stared back at Gus before she realized just what her aunt was trying to say. Nicole was at Shorty's. Waverly pulled her aunt in for a quick kiss on her cheek before she darted out the back door to her Jeep. She sped off so fast that the rocks in the driveway spun up against the front porch of the house.

* * *

The burn of the alcohol helped to clear Nicole's head of all thoughts of Waverly and Alex. She wasn't drunk but she felt the familiar cloud in her brain that came with a few drinks. She had spent most of the night talking with Rosita when she wasn't serving drinks. Nicole liked the other woman. It was nice to make a friend that wasn't an Earp.

As the night progressed, Shorty's got increasingly busy. Apparently, someone had called out, so Rosita was the only bartender on a fairly busy night. It didn't seem to bother her though. She was a pro at dealing with the masses. But because she was busier than normal, Nicole found herself sitting alone at the bar, drinking, and people watching.

Just as Nicole started to look around the bar, a blonde woman walked up beside her "Is this seat taken?"

Nicole smiled. The girl seemed nice. Nicole thought this might be another opportunity to have a new friend in Purgatory. "No, go right ahead. My name is Nicole." She extended her hand and smiled.

The other girl met the hand with her own. "Hi, I'm Stephanie Jones. You must be new around here. I have lived in Purgatory my whole life and I would definitely remember you." Her hand lingered just a moment longer than it should have and she had a mischievous glint in her eyes. Had Nicole's brain been clear, she probably would have noticed the obvious signs that the other woman was flirting with her, but the alcohol had taken care of that. The redhead just smiled right back.

"Yeah. I haven't been in Purgatory long. I recently separated from the Marine Corps and made my way here. I am working over at Gus McCready's farm."

"Ohhhh. A Marine, huh? And working a farm? Well, I just love a woman who is good with her hands." Stephanie winked at Nicole and Nicole answered her with a smile. "So Marine, you going to buy a girl a drink?"

* * *

Waverly pulled her Jeep up to the front of Shorty's and saw Gus's truck parked out front. She knew that Nicole had been the only one driving the truck recently, she must be inside. Waverly turned off her Jeep and sighed.

When she was at the farm, her emotions had gotten the better of her. She was worked up after pacing all day, waiting for Nicole. But sitting there in the parking lot with only the lights from Shorty's shining in front of her, she realized she was being ridiculous. Nicole wasn't her girlfriend. They had been on one kind of date when Wynonna told her that Nicole needed space and needed to work through some things. It wasn't fair of her to rush her.

Waverly decided against confronting Nicole. But she was already there so she thought she might as well go inside and grab a drink. She hopped out of her Jeep and headed towards the front door, feeling the loud music beat against the wooden entryway.

As she walked in, Waverly saw that the bar was packed and Rosita had her hands full. She decided that since she was there and had nothing to do that night, she would see if Rosita needed a hand. As she walked towards the bar, Waverly scanned the room for the redhead. She planned to give Nicole her space, but it didn't mean she couldn't look to see if Nicole was in fact there. She struggled to look around the masses huddled around the end of the bar closest to her, but the bar was way too crowded to see anyone else. Waverly walked to the open edge where she saw Rosita being overwhelmed with a very drunk Champ and Pete.

"Need any help?" Waverly smiled, ignoring the drunken catcalls of the two boy-men at the bar.

"Waverly Earp. My savior." Rosita gave Waverly a big hug. "Mel called out sick tonight so it's just me. I would love you forever if you could just grab the drink orders at the other end of the bar."

"No problem, Rosie. I had nothing better to do tonight." She could hear shouts of joy coming from Champ and Pete.

"Yaaaaay! Waverly's here. Rosita is no fun."Pete slurred his words as he spoke to Champ.

Champ smiled a cocky smile and spoke in a way that made shivers run up Waverly's spine and not in a good way. "Oh, I bet that Waverly is a lot of fun."

Rosita turned and shot a death glare at Champ. She then turned to Waverly. "These two were cut off a long time ago. They keep trying to sneak drinks every time I try to go help the other end of the bar. After I take care of them, the rest of the night will be a breeze."

Waverly chuckled. "I'll take of the patrons at the end so you can take care of these two idiots. Good luck." She smiled and made her way around Rosita, towards the other end of the bar.

Waverly laughed to herself as she made her way to the other end of the bar. As she made her way, she noticed a familiar Stetson with bright red hair underneath standing out in the crowded bar. Waverly smiled as she walked towards Nicole. She was just going to take her drink order. Give her space. Not force a conversation. Waverly knew that just being able to see Nicole would make her night.

But as she approached the other woman, she saw something that made her temperature rise and her stomach turn. Nicole was sitting there talking to Stephanie Jones and Stephanie's hands were constantly touching the other woman. Nicole didn't seem to mind that the blonde was touching her arms, shoulders, and hands because she just sat there and smiled.

Stephanie had always been a flirt and had slept with most of the town, man or woman. Waverly had lost all respect for Stephanie when they were in high school together. Stephanie had no qualms sleeping with Waverly's boyfriend at the time and then acted as if it was no big deal. Just seeing her with Nicole enraged Waverly. How dare she try to take Nicole from her just like she had done in high school?

But the anger passed. Waverly realized she was being ridiculous. Nicole wasn't hers. She didn't belong to anyone. They weren't dating and Stephanie wasn't stealing her away. If Nicole would rather be with Stephanie, it hurt, but that was her prerogative. She had no claim to the redhead. It hurt because Waverly felt like she and Nicole shared a real connection but she couldn't do anything if Nicole didn't want to be with Waverly.

She walked up to the two women, trying her best not to show just how upset she was. She cleared her throat to get their attention.

Stephanie was the first to speak while Nicole just stared. Her voice was annoying and flirty and all Waverly wanted to do was punch that fake smile off of her face. "Waverly, oh my gosh. I didn't realize you were working tonight."

The alcohol had slowed down Nicole's reaction time but the second she heard Stephanie mention Waverly's name, her mind cleared. It didn't matter how much she had gone through that day to avoid Waverly, there she was, standing in front of Nicole. She was just as beautiful as she was the first night that Nicole had stepped into Shorty's. She was an angel and she made Nicole want to beg and plead to the universe to make her better, make her good enough to deserve this woman in her life. Everyone else in the room disappeared except for Waverly Earp.

"Um...can I get you two anything to drink?" Waverly's voice was small and Nicole knew that it was her fault for being so distant.

"Hmm...I'd like something strong and sexy. Just like my Marine friend here." Stephanie's hand stroked down the length of Nicole's arm. But the other woman didn't even notice that the blonde was still there. Her focus was completely on Waverly and all she could see was just how much she was hurting Waverly by the way she had been acting all day.

"Nicole," Waverly's voice shook her out of her focused stare, "did you want something to drink?" Waverly's voice was small and sheepish.

She could barely answer. It was almost as if she had forgotten how to talk. "No. I...I think I've had enough. Maybe just some water?"

Waverly walked away and Nicole's eyes followed. She wanted to call out. She wanted to stop her and wrap her up in her arms. She just wanted to tell Waverly she was sorry and she would do anything to be enough for her. But The other woman was gone before Nicole drunk mind could react.

Waverly walked up to Rosita just as Champ and Pete were being escorted out the door by some of Purgatory's finest. "I see you were finally able to get rid of those two."

"Yeah. My night should be a whole lot easier with those two idiots gone. You are totally welcome to stay and help, but I've got it from here."

"Actually, Rosie, if it's okay, I'd really like to get out of here now. I took the order for the two at the end but I'd really rather not bring it to them. The redhead just wants water and the blonde wants something 'strong and sexy'." All Waverly could think about was getting as far away from Nicole and her 'date' as possible.

"Sure, Waverly. Have a good night and thanks again." Rosita called out to her but Waverly was out the door before Rosita was able to finish.

* * *

Nicole watched as Waverly walked out. She needed to talk to her but seeing the other woman just reaffirmed to Nicole just how difficult it would be to tell Waverly that they couldn't see each other. The alcohol was wearing off and nothing was quite as sobering as seeing the upset look in Waverly Earp's eyes. Nicole looked around and realized that she didn't want to be there. She didn't want to be sitting next to this other person. She didn't want to be getting drunk in a bar, surrounded by losers.

She looked down at the hand that was placed on top of hers before following it up to look the blond girl in the face.

"Stephanie, it was a pleasure meeting you but I'm going to head out." Nicole stood up from her bar stool.

"Aw, you are leaving me already, Marine? You are going to let a lady drink all alone?" Stephanie batted her eyes and reached out for Nicole.

"Um…" Nicole was starting to feel awkward. "Uh, yeah. I need to get back. Busy day tomorrow." It wasn't a lie.

Stephanie grabbed Nicole's arm and scribbled a number on it before kissing below it, leaving a lip print from her bright red lipstick. "Well if you get bored some night, give me a call. I think we could have a lot of fun together."

Nicole looked down at her arm and then back up at Stephanie, finally realizing what the other woman had been doing all night. "Um, okay Stephanie. It was nice meeting you."

Nicole got up as quickly as she could and made her way to the door. As she got behind the wheel of the truck, she realized that she had enjoyed probably one too many drinks and was in no shape to drive home. She decided that it was best to sleep a little before heading back. She laid down on the bench seat and fell asleep as the glow from Shorty's shone around her.


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N:** I'm really sorry this took so long to get out. I got distracted but I'm back. I really love these characters. They have insecurities. They are broken. I hope y'all enjoy.

Nicole woke and found that she was disoriented. The lights that had been shining from Shorty's when she had fallen asleep were now extinguished and the town looked deserted. She had rested enough that she no longer felt the floaty feeling of the alcohol affecting her brain. Nicole checked her phone and saw that it was almost 3:00 am. She internally chastised herself, knowing that she was only going to get at most a couple of hours of sleep before she had to get up and do her work on the farm. At least she would be able to grab a nap after her afternoon chores since she had overworked herself the day before when she was trying to keep her mind off of Waverly.

She pulled up to the barn and stretched before getting out of the truck. She yawned and sleepily walked to the barn, dreaming of the mattress that was waiting for her inside. All she could think about was getting what little sleep she could so she didn't completely drag ass when she started her chores.

Nicole reached out for the door handle to the barn. She knew that it would be pitch black inside but she had already decided that she would risk stumbling in the dark. The light would only wake her up more and she knew that she needed to fall asleep as soon as possible. She needed to be up soon so the quicker she fell asleep the more rested she hoped to be.

But when Nicole pulled the door open, she noticed that the small lamp next to her bed was turned on and a soft glow filled the room. It wasn't bright but there was enough light to illuminate the small figure that was sitting on her mattress. Nicole stood still, letting her eyes adjust to the light. As Nicole stood there, silently, she heard a tiny sniffle coming from the person sitting there.

As her eyes adjusted, Nicole started to recognize the shiny brunette hair and the small but amazing body of Waverly Earp, hunched over with her head in her hands. It broke Nicole's heart. She knew this was her fault. This is what she wanted to prevent but standing there, with Waverly's crying form in front of her, she realized there was no preventing it. Heartache followed her wherever she went and unfortunately Waverly, innocent, beautiful, angelic Waverly, had been caught up in it.

As Nicole dove deeper into her negative thoughts, a tiny voice, a voice that was barely loud enough for Nicole to register, broke the thick, silent air in the barn.

"I...I know I shouldn't be here. I have no right to even ask you about your personal life. We went on one date. It wasn't even a real date. It was barely coffee."

Nicole's heart broke at Waverly's sad ramblings. She wanted to wrap up the other woman and protect her from all of the bad things in the world.

Before she could speak, Waverly continued. "I know that Stephanie is prettier than I am. I know she is more fun and doesn't have _Earp_ baggage. Ever since we were kids, everyone chose Stephanie." Waverly's voice was sad and distant. "It doesn't surprise me that she would catch your eye. You deserve the best. I wouldn't say she's the best. Not by any stretch of the imagination. But I get why she would be a better choice. Most people would be a better choice than me." Her voice seemed to get quieter as she spoke until the point where it came out as almost a whisper.

"Waverly, why are you talking about Stephanie? Why would you ever say that she is better than you are?" As Nicole spoke, Waverly lifted her head to look at Nicole for the first time since she had walked into the barn that night. As she did, Nicole noticed that the light from the lamp caused the wet steaks flooding down from Waverly's eyes to glisten.

"You don't owe me any explanation. I saw the two of you at Shorty's. I mean… you are just getting home and I know that Shorty's closed hours ago."

Waverly looked at Nicole and noticed the writing on her arm. She noticed the bright lipstick mark next to the number that she recognized as Stephanie's. Until that moment, she had been doing her best to try and fool herself into thinking that Nicole hadn't gone home with the other woman. But the evidence was there, in front of her face, and she couldn't deny the truth when it was staring back at her.

She shook her head quickly. "I'm sorry. I know this is none of my business. I…" She looked around the small barn. "I need to leave. I shouldn't be here." Her voice was frantic and she stood up quickly, making her way towards the door. But before she was able to make it there, Nicole stepped in front of her.

She realized what the other woman was implying. "Wait...Waves, do you think that I slept with Stephanie tonight?"

Waverly couldn't form the words, so she simply bowed her head, looking down at her feet.

"Waves, look at me. Nicole placed her finger under Waverly's chin and tipped her face up so that she was staring into the most beautiful hazel eyes. "I have not, nor do I ever plan on sleeping with Stephanie Jones. I don't have any interest in her."

"Your arm says different," Waverly let out weakly.

Nicole looked down and noticed where Stephanie had jotted her number down. "Waverly, Stephanie was flirting with me. I didn't even realize it until she did this. Trust me. It was not reciprocated. As soon as you left, I went out to the truck and fell asleep. I didn't want to drive home drunk. I just woke up and headed here." Nicole looked into sad eyes. She hated that look. She had such strong feelings for the other woman.

She stared into hazel eyes that stared back at her with such feeling that Nicole lost herself. Never in her life had she felt such an instant connection with someone like she did with Waverly. When she stared at the pink lips that were inches in front of her face, all thoughts about how she shouldn't be anywhere near the other woman disappeared. All she could think about was how she needed to be as close as possible to the woman in front of her for the rest of her life.

So Nicole did what she wanted to do ever since she had first laid eyes on the other woman. She crashed her lips into her and began kissing her with fire and passion.

At first, the move caught Waverly by surprise. But the minute that her brain caught up with what was going on, she melted into the kiss. All of her fears and doubts about Nicole's feelings for her were immediately erased as the two women melted into one.

The kiss was rough and passionate. Teeth collided and hands roamed as the two women released all of the pent up energy that had been building since Nicole had ridden her bike into Purgatory. Waverly let out a tiny squeak as she felt strong hands grab behind her thighs and lift her up. She instinctively wrapped her legs around Nicole's waist as the redhead walked them over to the wall of the barn, pinning the other woman there with her body.

Nicole used the advantages of their position to let her hands explore the perfect body. Her lips kissed, sucked, and nibbled the lips of the other woman. She felt the curves of Waverly's amazing body as her tongue tasted Waverly's mouth, lips, and tongue.

After what seemed like an eternity, Nicole pulled back and stared into the blown pupils in front of her. She couldn't help but smile back when she saw the huge smile spread across Waverly's face. Both women panted heavily, trying to catch their breath as they stared at each other in silence.

But the moment had to end as Nicole's negative thoughts returned to the redhead. She slowly lowered Waverly to the ground and backed away slowly. She had let her guard down, let her defenses crumble in a moment of passion, but she couldn't let that happen again. She needed to talk to Waverly so she could see why the brief lapse in self-control had to be a one time thing.

"Waverly, I have wanted to kiss you ever since I first saw you the night I pulled into town. I haven't had eyes for anyone else in a very long time. I wasn't looking for anyone. I didn't want anyone. But there you were." She couldn't help the warm feeling that rose in her chest when she saw the sweet smile on Waverly's face. She could feel herself getting lost in everything Waverly again and quickly shook her head to clear her thoughts.

"Waverly, I can't do this." She hung her head and felt as a tear trailed down her cheek.

Waverly was so confused. Nicole had just kissed her like she had never been kissed before. In that moment, she swore she could see the future and that future included Nicole Haught. But she was the redhead, pulling away from her again. She didn't want to play this game anymore. It hurt too much.

"Nicole." She spoke softly, partially so she didn't rattle the apparently fragile woman in front of her, and partially because she was afraid if she raised her voice at all, she would break in two. "Nicole, what is going on? One minute you seem to be into this," she gestured between the two of them, "and the next minute you pull away from me like I'm the worst possible thing for you. Did I do something?"

Nicole looked up and noticed that Waverly's eyes were glassy and about to overflow from the tears that were welling up there. She wanted to hit herself for causing this pain. For being too chicken shit to have the conversation that she needed to have. "Waverly, you didn't do anything. You could never do anything wrong in my eyes. This is all about me and my issues."

Waverly laughed through her tears but Nicole could tell that it wasn't a happy laugh. "Really, Nicole? Are you going to stand here and use the 'It's not you, it's me' line on me? I kinda thought I deserved more than that."

"Waves, I promise you, this isn't just a line." Nicole sighed. She knew that she needed to be up in a couple of hours but she had to have this conversation with Waverly now. "I think we need to talk. Hopefully, when I'm done, you'll understand why I need to pull away." She held out her hand and guided Waverly to sit down on her bed.

"Waverly, I don't know what your sister may have told you about me and my life before I came to Purgatory…"

Waverly quickly interrupted. "She didn't tell me anything. She said that was for you to tell."

Nicole sighed. It was probably for the best that she tell her own story but she knew this would be emotional for her. "My parents died when I was 12. They went out to get me medicine because I had the flu. Usually one would stay with me, but I convinced them to both go. They would only be gone for a short time and I was almost a teenager who could take care of myself until they got back. But they never came home. The next thing I knew a lady from Social Services was at my door."

"They tried to get family to take me but either no one could take me or no one wanted me. So I was placed with foster family after foster family. But none of them wanted me either. Not one family wanted me."She sniffled as the tears flowed freely down her fast. "I went to a few group homes, but the minute I turned 18, I enlisted."

"I thought I had finally found something. That's where I met your sister. That's where I met Alex…"

Waverly noticed the empty look in the redhead's eyes when she mentioned that name. "Nicole…" Waverly began to ask, cautiously, "who is Alex?"

At hearing someone else mention the name, Nicole completely broke down. Her entire body racked with sobs, tears flowed like a river. Waverly wrapped her arms around Nicole as she wept into Waverly's chest. They sat there quietly, the only sound echoing in the barn were the sounds of Nicole crying. Waverly held her, stroking her back and combing her fingers through Nicole's ginger mane.

After what seemed like hours, but could have only been a few minutes, the sobs stopped. Nicole finally lifted her head and looked at Waverly with bright red eyes. "I'm so sorry. This isn't like me. But in all honesty, I don't know if I have ever actually cried about her."

"It's okay, Nicole." She spoke in a soft, soothing voice. "You can cry. I will be here to hold you. And you don't have to talk about anything that you don't want to." Waverly held Nicole, not letting her pull too far away.

"No, Waves. This is important. You need to understand why we can't be together. Alex was…" Nicole took a deep breath, calling forth the courage to continue. "Alex was my fiancee."

Waverly looked at Nicole with wide eyes as she mentioned the word. Nicole continued before she lost the nerve. "After I was in the helicopter crash, I was stuck in a hospital bed for months. I didn't know if I would ever walk again. I was not doing well but I knew I would be okay because Alex was there for me. But then I got the email. She told me she couldn't stay. She said it was all too much and she couldn't deal with it." She paused and took a breath before continuing. "She left me. Just like everyone does." Her last words came out hushed as if saying it too loud would break her.

Nicole tried her best to collect herself so she seemed strong in what she was saying and she turned to Waverly, looking her directly in the eye. "So you see, Waverly, we can't be together. Because eventually, you will leave me. I know we haven't known each other that long, but I know when you leave me, I won't survive. And you...I know that somehow, I will ruin you. I always ruin the things that I care for."

Nicole looked away. She couldn't stand to see the heartbroken look that she knew was on Waverly's face. Neither made a sound for at least a minute. They sat motionless, letting the calm that had settled in the barn surround them until Waverly finally spoke up. "Nicole...Nicole, look at me."

Nicole slowly turned her head. She looked up at Waverly's face and noticed that, despite what she imagined, Waverly didn't look heartbroken. Her face was sad but there was a glimmer of something in her eyes. Nicole was confused. She had just explained to her why they could never be together and there Waverly stood, with what appeared to be hope in her eyes.

"Waverly, did you hear what I said?" Nicole started to worry that what she had been feeling wasn't reciprocal.

"Yeah Nicole, I heard you." Waverly put her hand on Nicole's cheek. "And it hurts me so much that you think that you don't deserve love because of what others have done to you. It is not your fault that your parents died. It isn't your fault that those foster families weren't there for you. And it certainly isn't your fault that Alex wasn't in it for the long run. She was a fool. If that had been me, I would have been by your side, nursing you back to health." Waverly smiled and her cheeks turned a rosy pink at the thought of being Nicole's nurse.

That smile was infectious because as soon as Nicole saw it, she smiled right back. Her thoughts wandered, thinking of how different her time in that hospital bed would have been if Waverly had been there by her side. Alex had never been much of a nurturer. Even when Nicole had just a small cold, Alex would stay away, saying that she didn't want to catch whatever Nicole had. But Waverly Earp, someone she had only known a short time, sat there saying she would have taken care of her. It meant the world to Nicole.

Waverly's words served as a beacon of hope in Nicole's stormy heart. But that didn't change the fact that she was petrified. Waverly was saying these wonderful things but neither of them could predict the future. What if, in a week or a month or a year, they fell apart? Nicole could never forgive herself if she ruined the angel that sat next to her.

As if she could read Nicole's thoughts, Waverly leaned forward so that her forehead rested on the other woman's and spoke in a whisper so that the words were just between the two of them. "Neither of us knows what the future will hold, Nicole. But no one does. No relationship knows for sure if they will make it. But I can't deny the way I feel about you. And the only tragedy would be if we didn't try. Because even if I only have you for a day, I will be happy because I had you."

"Waverly, I am so afraid of the heartbreak." Nicole had never been so open with anyone in her life. Not even Alex.

"I know. And I will do everything to keep you from going through that again. I can't make any promises other than I will do everything in my power to protect your heart." Waverly's words were sweet and calming. She reached up and wiped the tears that were rolling down Nicole's cheek. She was caught off guard that the strong Marine was being so open and vulnerable in front of her.

Nicole pulled back so she could look into Waverly's eyes. Waverly couldn't help but notice how sad Nicole looked. "Waves, could you stay here with me tonight? I'm not trying to suggest anything salacious. I really just feel like I need someone here with me and I'd really like that someone to be you. I only have like an hour before I have to wake up, but I'd like to wake up with you in my arms."

Even if she wanted to, there was no way that Waverly could say no to the person in front of her. The broken look on her face was hurting Waverly's soul. "Of course, Nicole. Nothing would make me happier."

Waverly leaned in and planted a soft, sweet kiss on Nicole's lips. They would have plenty of time for passion. But for that night, Waverly just wanted to show the other woman that she cared for her and that she was going to be there if and when Nicole needed her.

The two women climbed into Nicole's bed and Waverly fell asleep, happy, with a pair of strong arms wrapped around her.


End file.
